The 2024 edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will kick off on February 23 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on 2023 runners-up Delhi Capitals. The tournament will feature a total of 22 matches, with the final set to be played on March 17. This season, the WPL will be hosted across two venues: Bengaluru and Delhi. The first half of the tournament will be held in Bengaluru, while Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium will host the final 11 games, including the knockouts.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore will start their campaign against UP Warriorz on February 24, and Gujarat Giants will play their first game of the season against Mumbai on February 25. The Delhi leg of the tournament begins on March 5, with the Capitals taking on Mumbai in the return fixture.
There will be one league-stage game every day, from February 23 to March 13, with no double-header days scheduled. The Eliminator will be held on March 15, with the final scheduled for March 17 in Delhi. Each team will play eight games, and the league topper will go into the final, while the teams finishing second and third on the points table will face off in the Eliminator for the other spot in the final.
In the 2024 WPL auction held in December last year, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland (Capitals) and India uncapped Kaashvee Gautam (Giants) earned big bids of INR 2 crore each. Vrinda Dinesh, another uncapped Indian, was picked up for INR 1.3 crore by Warriorz, while Mumbai splurged INR 1.2 crore on South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail. Phoebe Litchfield was also picked up by Giants for INR 1 crore.
The Mumbai Indians, led by Harmnapreet Kaur, were crowned champions of the inaugural WPL after they defeated the Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in a one-sided final. Nat-Sciver Brunt led the way, scoring an unbeaten 55-ball 60 as Mumbai overhauled the 132-run target with ease.
