The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has identified the new dates for the third season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which will go on for over a month between early February and March when the international men’s side would be busy with the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The reports have claimed that WPL is scheduled to take place from February 6 to March 9, 2025. The exact dates are yet to be confirmed, but all six franchises have reportedly been informed by the BCCI authorities during the auction of the event in Bengaluru that the likely start for the 20-over tournament is going to be Thursday (February 06).
Just like the previous two seasons of the WPL, the third edition will also feature 22 matches. The BCCI was initially trying to introduce a new franchise from the third season, but that idea, for this moment, has been erased, as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will begin the season as the defending champions.
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The official schedule is expected to come in the next few weeks, as the RCB side, under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana, could start the ball rolling, having become the second champion of the event, getting the better of the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
WPL is to start on February 06; Ahmedabad and Lucknow confirmed as venues
As for the venue of the WPL 2025, the BCCI is yet to take a call on the location or location, but the probable toss-up could take place between Lucknow and Ahmedabad. Cricbuzz has highlighted that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has not approached for their desire to host the games in Mumbai, either the Navi Mumbai or Brabourne or the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
The senior official member of the Karnataka Cricket Association (KSCA) official has confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the home of the RCB franchise for both men’s and women’s cricket, is not under consideration.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, the home of the Delhi Capitals, is unlikely to be considered for the event due to the extreme cold weather during that period. In the last tournament, Bengaluru started the WPL 2024 before Delhi hosted the last half, including the eliminator and final of the competition, but that was in the first week of March.
The entire scenario, then, leaves Lucknow, the base of the UP Warriorz, and Ahmedabad, the home of the Gujarat Giants, as the two potential venue options. The reports have also shed light, that a couple of franchises have already requested the BCCI to host the games in Ahmedabad.
However, the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) is not certain whether the Narendra Modi Stadium will be available for the full month. The final decision is expected to be made in the coming days.
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If the final of the WPL 2025 takes place between March 07 and 09, then there would be a gap of nearly a week between the end of the Women’s T20 franchise tournament and the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The BCCI has already announced that the 18th season of the men’s 20-over league will begin on March 14 (Friday).
Last season, Bengaluru finished in the third position of the tournament with four wins and as many defeats in eight encounters at the net run rate of +0.306. They thrashed the Mumbai Indians Women (MIW) in the eliminator with a five-run victory before getting the better of Delhi in the final in a chase of 115 runs with eight wickets in hand.
