Varanasi Emerges as Possible New Venue for Women’s Premier League- IPL

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 could see matches played in a new city. Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a possible host venue as the BCCI works on plans for the next season. The 2026 WPL was played across Navi Mumbai and Vadodara under the two-venue caravan model. The 22-match tournament was split between the two cities due to the Ranji Trophy schedule.

Varanasi Under Consideration

The first half of the 2026 season was held at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. The remaining matches were played at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. Varanasi has now entered the plans for the 2027 season. The WPL 2027 auction is tentatively scheduled for October 28 in Kochi, while the tournament is expected to be held during the January-February window.

The BCCI will need to plan the schedule carefully. India is also set to host the first-ever ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in mid-February. The WPL Governing Council discussed the plans during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, September 15.

BCCI to Inspect Varanasi Venue

Brabourne Stadium and Kotambi Stadium are currently the main venues being considered after hosting the previous season. Varanasi is now another option for the BCCI. The BCCI is expected to inspect the venue in Varanasi. Officials will check whether the stadium can be prepared in time for WPL matches. The final decision will come after the inspection.

A source close to the development, as quoted by Sportstar, said, “The BCCI team will inspect whether the venue in Varanasi can be ready by then, and, accordingly, a call will be taken on hosting matches there. For now, it’s Mumbai and Vadodara.”

Champions Trophy Adds Schedule Pressure

The BCCI also faces a scheduling issue with the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027. Brabourne Stadium and Kotambi Stadium are both expected to host matches during the tournament. The gap between the WPL and the Champions Trophy is expected to be short. The BCCI will need to fit both competitions into a busy early-year schedule. The WPL has mostly used two cities in recent seasons. The 2025 edition was different, with matches held across four cities.

UP Warriorz Could Get New Home

By adding Varanasi in the 2027 schedule, the WPL will be taking its league into a new market. This can further help UP Warriorz get another venue for hosting their games. In 2025, UP Warriorz used Lucknow as the home venue for its matches. Thus, by adding Varanasi, this would make it the second home venue for UP Warriorz.