In a significant development for the Women’s Premier League (WPL), BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has ruled out Lucknow as a potential venue for women’s cricket events, citing persistent crowd shortages and logistical challenges.
This decision has shaped the ongoing 4th edition of the WPL, running from January 9 to February 5, 2026, into a compact two-venue affair: the first phase at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the second at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
“Earlier, we hosted the tournament across four venues, Delhi, Lucknow, Vadodara and Navi Mumbai. But this time we are doing it only in two venues, because Delhi will be hosting the T20 World Cup, whereas there are issues with Lucknow,” Saikia told Sportstar.
Revealing the core issue, he added: “There is always a shortage of crowd for women’s cricket. Even for IPL matches, there is less crowd than at other venues. So, we are not requesting Lucknow to host women’s events because we want people to come and enjoy the game.”
With Bengaluru also off the table, options narrowed quickly. “So, we have been left with very few options. Vadodara is a wonderful venue, and on the other hand, we have seen the crowd response and the facilities at the D.Y. Patil Stadium for the Women’s World Cup final. It was wonderful. These two venues are helpful for us logistically as well,” Saikia explained.
This pragmatic choice underscores the venue’s proven pedigree. DY Patil hosted the triumphant final of the 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025, where India, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur under head coach Amol Muzumdar, defeated South Africa (captained by Laura Wolvaardt) by 52 runs to claim their maiden senior-level ICC title on home soil.
Amid these venue expansion discussions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by skipper Smriti Mandhana, stand tall as the tournament’s beacon. The only unbeaten side, they’ve secured a knockout spot atop the points table with 10 points from five games. This dominance echoes their breakout in 2024 triumph, their maiden WPL title, ending a 17-year franchise silverware drought.
RCB’s resurgence contrasts with the league’s evolving landscape. Mumbai Indians, under Harmanpreet Kaur, won the 2023 and 2025 titles at venues like Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Delhi Capitals, led by Meg Lanning in those years, were perennial runners-up across three editions. Lanning, now UP Warriorz skipper after a ₹1.90 crore mega-auction move on November 27, 2025, brings star power to Lucknow’s team, ironically, as the city sits out hosting duties. Jemimah Rodrigues captains the current Delhi Capitals.
Saikia offered optimism for growth: “But in the coming times, when the number of teams in the WPL also increases, the number of venues will also certainly increase. Otherwise, we have very limited States because we have to look into the territory of those franchises. We cannot have a match in Kolkata or Chennai because neither of those cities has any WPL franchise. Therefore, all the other States are also ruled out.”
As the WPL’s 4th edition moved to the Vadodara phase, these revelations highlighted the balancing act between logistics, fan turnout, and expansion dreams, setting the stage for a brighter, broader future in women’s cricket.
(Quotes sourced from Sportstar)
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