The Womens’ Premier League (WPL) is India’s leading women’s franchise T20 cricket tournament, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The competition began in 2023 and brings together some of the best Indian and international cricketers to represent five franchises. Since its launch, the league has provided a major platform for women’s cricket, giving emerging Indian players opportunities to compete alongside established international stars.
The tournament has produced four champions’ campaigns across its first four seasons, with the Mumbai Indians winning in 2023 and 2025, while the Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the trophy in 2024 and 2026. The Delhi Capitals have reached the final in every season so far but have finished runners-up each time.
What Is the Womens’ Premier League?
The Women’s Premier League is a professional women’s T20 cricket competition in India. It follows a franchise-based system, with teams selecting Indian and overseas players through auctions and building squads for each season.
The BCCI launched the league in 2023 to expand opportunities in women’s cricket and create a major domestic competition for players from India and other countries. Its matches feature international stars, Indian national team players, and young cricketers looking to establish themselves at the highest level.
The WPL follows a league-stage and playoff format. Five teams compete in the round-robin stage, and the best-performing sides advance to the playoffs to decide the champion. The competition has also helped increase the visibility of women’s franchise cricket in India.
History of the Womens’ Premier League
The WPL’s inaugural season took place in March 2023, with Mumbai Indians becoming the first champions after defeating Delhi Capitals in the final. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first title in 2024, followed by Mumbai Indians’ second championship in 2025.
The 2026 edition continued the rivalry between RCB and Delhi Capitals. RCB defeated Delhi in the final to claim their second title, matching Mumbai Indians’ championship tally. Delhi’s fourth consecutive final appearance also made them the first team in the competition to reach the title match in each of the first four seasons without winning the trophy.
Womens’ Premier League Winners List (2023–2026)
The following table lists every WPL champion and runner-up from the first season through 2026.
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Final result |
| 2023 | Mumbai Indians | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians won by 7 wickets |
| 2024 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Delhi Capitals | RCB won by 8 wickets |
| 2025 | Mumbai Indians | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians won by 8 runs |
| 2026 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Delhi Capitals | RCB won by 6 wickets |
Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have each won two WPL titles. Delhi Capitals have finished as runners-up in all four finals, while Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz are still chasing their first championship.
WPL 2023: Mumbai Indians Win the Inaugural Title
The Mumbai Indians won the first Womens’ Premier League season under captain Harmanpreet Kaur. They defeated Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in the final at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on March 26, 2023.
Delhi Capitals scored 131/9 after batting first. Mumbai Indians reached 134/3 in 19.3 overs, with Nat Sciver-Brunt scoring an unbeaten 60. Sciver-Brunt’s innings helped Mumbai secure the first WPL trophy and established the franchise as the league’s inaugural champion.
WPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Become Champions
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first WPL title in 2024 by defeating Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in the final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Delhi were bowled out for 113 in 18.3 overs. RCB chased the target and finished at 115/2 in 19.3 overs, securing the trophy under captain Smriti Mandhana. The victory gave Bengaluru its first championship in the women’s competition after the men’s franchise had waited until 2025 to win its maiden IPL title.
WPL 2025: Mumbai Indians Win Their Second Title
Mumbai Indians returned to the top in 2025, beating Delhi Capitals by eight runs in the final at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
The result gave Mumbai their second WPL title and made them the first franchise to win the competition twice. The Delhi Capitals reached their third consecutive final but again fell short of the trophy. Mumbai’s success continued the team’s strong record in the league’s early seasons.
WPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Lift Their Second Trophy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the 2026 Womens’ Premier League after beating Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the final at Vadodara on February 5.
Delhi Capitals scored 203/4 in 20 overs, with Jemimah Rodrigues contributing 57 and Laura Wolvaardt scoring 44. RCB responded with 204/4 in 19.4 overs, completing a record chase in a WPL final. Smriti Mandhana scored 87 from 41 balls, while Georgia Voll made 79, and their 165-run partnership turned the match in Bengaluru’s favour.
Mandhana was named Player of the Match. The victory gave RCB their second WPL title and brought them level with the Mumbai Indians as the competition’s most successful team.
Womens’ Premier League Teams
Five franchises compete in the Womens’ Premier League. Each team combines Indian and overseas players and competes for the championship.
| Team | Abbreviation |
| Mumbai Indians | MI |
| Delhi Capitals | DC |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | RCB |
| Gujarat Giants | GG |
| UP Warriorz | UPW |
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians became the inaugural WPL champions in 2023 and won again in 2025. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur during those title campaigns, the team has established itself as one of the strongest sides in the competition.
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals have reached every WPL final from 2023 through 2026. Despite finishing runners-up in all four seasons, they have remained a consistent playoff contender and have regularly featured among the league’s leading teams.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first WPL title in 2024 and their second in 2026. Smriti Mandhana captained both championship-winning sides, making RCB one of the two most successful franchises in the competition.
Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants are one of the five founding WPL franchises. The team has featured players such as Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine, and continues to compete for its first championship.
UP Warriorz
UP Warriorz represents Uttar Pradesh in the competition. The franchise has featured leading international players and Indian talent, including experienced batters and specialist bowlers, but has yet to win a WPL title.
Womens’ Premier League Format
The WPL uses a round-robin league stage followed by playoffs. Each of the five teams plays the other four teams twice, giving every side eight league matches and producing 20 league-stage games.
The top three teams qualify for the playoffs. The team finishing first advances directly to the final, while the second- and third-placed teams meet in the Eliminator. The Eliminator winner then faces the league-stage leader in the final to determine the champion.
Teams earn two points for a win and no points for a defeat. A no-result match earns each team one point. If teams finish level on points, the number of wins and then net run rate help determine their positions.
WPL 2026 Points Table
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished first in the 2026 league stage with six wins from eight matches. Gujarat Giants placed second, while Delhi Capitals secured third place and went on to reach the final.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | Net run rate |
| 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 8 | 6 | 2 | 12 | +1.247 |
| 2 | Gujarat Giants | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | -0.168 |
| 3 | Delhi Capitals | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | -0.055 |
| 4 | Mumbai Indians | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | +0.059 |
| 5 | UP Warriorz | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | -1.076 |
WPL 2026 Awards and Top Performers
The 2026 season featured strong performances from both Indian and overseas players. Smriti Mandhana led the run charts, while Sophie Devine and Delhi Capitals’ Nandni Sharma finished as the joint leading wicket-takers.
| Award or statistic | Player | Team | Performance |
| Most runs | Smriti Mandhana | RCB | 377 runs |
| Most wickets | Sophie Devine | Gujarat Giants | 17 wickets |
| Most wickets | Nandni Sharma | Delhi Capitals | 17 wickets |
| Player of the Tournament | Sophie Devine | Gujarat Giants | Season’s top overall award |
| Player of the Match in the final | Smriti Mandhana | RCB | 87 runs off 41 balls |
Womens’ Premier League Records
The WPL has already produced several notable individual and team records across its first four seasons.
- Most successful teams: Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with two titles each.
- Most final appearances: Delhi Capitals, with four appearances from 2023 to 2026.
- Most career runs: Nat Sciver-Brunt, with 1,348 runs listed in the available career records.
- Most career wickets: Amelia Kerr, with 54 wickets.
- Highest individual score: Nat Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten 100 against RCB in January 2026.
- Highest team total: UP Warriorz scored 225/5 against RCB in March 2025.
- Best bowling figures: Ellyse Perry took 6/15 for RCB against Mumbai Indians in March 2024.
- Highest partnership: Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll shared a 165-run stand in the 2026 final.
Womens’ Premier League at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | Women’s Premier League |
| Abbreviation | WPL |
| Governing body | Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) |
| First season | 2023 |
| Format | Women’s Twenty20 |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Total seasons completed | 4, through 2026 |
| Most successful teams | Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Titles per leading team | 2 each |
| Latest champion | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| 2026 runner-up | Delhi Capitals |
| 2026 final result | RCB won by 6 wickets |
FAQs
Q. When did the Womens’ Premier League begin?
A. The WPL began in 2023.
Q. Which team won the first WPL title?
A. Mumbai Indians won the inaugural title in 2023.
Q. Who won the WPL 2026 title?
A. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the 2026 title.
Q. How many teams play in the WPL?
A. Five teams compete in the tournament.
Q. Which teams have won the most WPL titles?
A. Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have two titles each.
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