The Women’s Premier League 2026 gets underway on Friday, January 9 until February 5. The league will commence with a clash that renews one of the fiercest rivalries and sets the mood for another gripping season. A total of 20 league matches will be held in the WPL this year, with the table-toppers directly making the final. Sticking to the usual format of double round-robin structure, all five teams will face each other twice during the league phase. The second and third placed will lock horns in the Eliminator. The first 11 matches will be held in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra and the remaining 9 matches will take place in Vadodara, Gujarat. A high-voltage opening clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and former title holders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will be followed by Delhi Capitals chasing redemption after three straight runners-up finishes, and Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz.WPL 2026 schedule January 9 Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru January 10 UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants January 10 Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals January 11 Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants January 12 Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz January 13 Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants January 14 UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals January 15 Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz January 16 Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants January 17 UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians January 17 Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru January 19 Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru January 20 Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians January 22 Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz January 24 Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals January 26 Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians January 27 Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals January 29 UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru January 30 Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians February 1 Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz February 3 Eliminator February 5 Final WPL 2026 squads Mumbai IndiansHarmanpreet Kaur (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Gunalan Kullkarni, Nicola Carey, Sanskriti Gupta, Rahil Firdous, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth Royal Challengers BengaluruSmriti Mandhana (C), Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, Dayalan Hemalatha UP WarriorzMeg Lanning (C), Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Phoebe Litchfield, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Gaud, Shweta Sehrawat, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Suman Meena, Simran Shaikh, G Trisha, Pratika Rawal Delhi CapitalsJemimah Rodrigues (C), Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Shree Charani, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandani Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani Gujarat GiantsAshleigh Gardner (C), Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia, Anushka Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar, Kanika Ahuja, Titas Sadhu, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Shivani Singh, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi SoniWPL 2026 live streaming details The 2026 Women’s Premier League will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network. Fans can also watch all matches via digital streaming on the Jio Hotstar app and website.
09 January,2026 05:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the T20 World Cup 2026, amid the uncertainty of Bangladesh's team visiting India, former skipper Tamim Iqbal said that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) should look to solve the problem, considering the country's future in the game. Earlier, BCB had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move all of their T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India, citing security and safety concerns for the contingent. This came after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The action came following the atrocities against the minorities in Bangladesh. "Since I am not involved [with the BCB], like any other regular person I am finding things out through the media. But I am sure those dealing with these matters have a lot more information. So in that regard, I should not suddenly be making comments. What I am saying, however, is that Bangladesh cricket's interest, future and everything else must be considered before making such a decision. There is nothing better than if something can be resolved through dialogue," said Iqbal, according to The Daily Star. He also said that the board needs to consider everything before making public comments, and the decisions have to be taken for the goodwill of Bangladesh cricket. "What I feel, and I think I would have done the same if I were there, is that since this is a sensitive issue, before making public comments, we would discuss the matter ourselves [within the board]. Because when you make a public comment, right or wrong, it becomes difficult to step back from that position. Bangladesh cricket's future comes before everything else, and 90 to 95 percent of the finances come from the ICC, so decisions have to be made based on what will help Bangladesh cricket," added the 36-year-old cricketer. Bangladesh are scheduled to open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against the two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After the West Indies, Bangladesh will face Italy on February 9 at the same venue, then face the 2022 T20 World Cup champions, England, in Kolkata again. After facing England, Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Mumbai to play Nepal at Wankhede Stadium. (With ANI Inputs)
09 January,2026 04:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 is all set to kick off, here are all the matches of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the marquee tournament. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians will open their Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 campaign against the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), on Friday at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. The following day, the Mumbaikars will play their second clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the same venue. They will then lock horns against the Gujarat Giants (GG) on January 13, following which they will play against the UP Warriorz (UPW) on January 15. On January 17, cricket fans will yet again witness the clash between the Indians and the Warriorz. The Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi will host the match between the Delhi Capitals and the Mumbai Indians on January 20. The same stadium will also host the clash between the Paltan and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on January 26. The Mumbaikars will play their last group stage match against the Giants on January 30 at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium. The semi-final of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 is scheduled to be played on February 3 in Kotambi, followed by the title clash on February 5. Ahead of the tournament's opening match, Mumbai Indians' skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said that the team will enter with the same mindset that they have been following for the past three to four years. "We have the same energy and excitement this season. We are going with a similar mindset like we did for the last three years and won two titles. Our mindset is to play good cricket," she stated. "We will do whatever is possible to win the title. Its is a very important season as a lot of exciting cricket is coming up," added Kaur. Mumbai Indians' squad for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Nalla Reddy, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Triveni Vasistha, Gunalan Kamalini (WK), Rahila Firdous (WK), Milly Illingworth, Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail.
09 January,2026 04:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralian cricket great Damien Martyn has been discharged from the hospital after coming out of an induced coma on Thursday and is recovering after being diagnosed with meningitis just over a week ago. Martyn, who represented Australia in 67 Test matches, fell ill on Boxing Day and was taken to hospital on the Gold Coast late last month, where he was placed in an induced coma amid a bout of meningitis. He woke from the coma last week and began talking again. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 January,2026 08:58 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSDespite Sarfaraz Khan’s record-breaking 15-ball half-century, Mumbai lost to Punjab by a solitary run in a Group C fixture of the Vijay Hazare Trophy held in Jaipur on Thursday. The in-form Mumbai batter belted a 20-ball 62, laced with seven fours and five maximums while chasing a small target of 217. His knock was the quickest fifty scored by an Indian in List A cricket — the fifty over format of the game, which includes domestic and international matches. However, Mumbai’s star-studded middle-order containing the likes of Shreyas Iyer (45), Suryakumar Yadav (15), Shivam Dube (12) failed to capitalise on their starts as the team were bundled out in the span of 26.2 overs. Nevertheless, Mumbai still secured qualification to the quarter-finals by virtue of their second-place finish. Meanwhile, in a Group B match, Hardik Pandya (75 off 31) and Jitesh Sharma (73 off 33) starred with the bat for Baroda in a 149-run win over Chandigarh, but it was not enough as they failed to qualify on net run-rate. In another Group B clash, Dhruv Jurel scored a century (123) to help Uttar Pradesh beat Bengal by five wickets and maintain their perfect group-stage record. 15No. of balls Sarfaraz Khan took to score fifty; the fastest by an Indian in List A cricket This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 January,2026 08:56 AM IST | Jaipur | AgenciesMumbai Indians (MI) skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana complemented each other on the eve of the WPL-4 opening fixture at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday. Both first recalled the Indian women team’s maiden ICC ODI World Cup win, which they celebrated just a couple of months ago (November 2, 2025 night) at the same venue. Then, they spoke about how this edition of the WPL could be the perfect stepping stone for the players to eye glory at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in England in June and July. “Winning the T20 World Cup will be great, but we all know that we just won the [ODI] World Cup, and there are a lot of things that we need to work on. We really want to sit back and say that yeah, we’re the best team in the world and the World No.1 team, but I feel we still have a lot of things to improve on. I’m sure this WPL is going to bridge that gap for us,” Mandhana, who is Team India skipper Harmanpreet’s deputy in the national set-up, said during a joint pre-match press conference on Thursday. Harmanpreet echoed Mandhana’s feelings. “Smriti said it correctly. We are not satisfied with this one World Cup we have. There is so much cricket coming up this year and in the next two-three years, so every time we go on to the field, we want to go with that winning mindset. And it’s good to see that not only the two of us, but all the other players are also coming up and thinking and speaking about how they want to be champions all the time. I believe this shows that the WPL has had a lot of positive impact on us,” said Harmanpreet. India’s World Cup-winning captain went on to lavish praise on her deputy for her valuable inputs during international matches. “Smriti likes to keep discussing about the players we are playing up against. She’s someone who is always giving me feedback on the field. She’s really good with stats about opposition players and whenever I need it, she’s always there,” said Harmanpreet. Her knowledge and skills notwithstanding though Mandhana revealed there is one aspect that she’s still trying to work hard on: “I’m trying to learn aggression [from Harmanpreet], but I’m not getting it. She [Harmanpreet] is such a fierce leader. She’s really passionate about the way she leads. The passion in her eyes is something that’s very motivating for all of us. That’s one thing I’d like to learn,” said Mandhana. Speaking about Friday’s encounter, Mandhana had a funny one-liner: “I hope she [Harmanpreet] does well, but we [RCB] win.” Current defending champions MI lead the head-to-head against RCB 4-3. TwoNo. of WPL titles won by Mumbai Indians
09 January,2026 08:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureHits Mitchell Starc Matches: 5Wickets: 31, Runs: 156Australia pacer Mitchell Starc claimed the Compton-Miller Medal after finishing with 31 wickets and contributing 156 runs. The 35-year-old was lethal right from the opening over of the series, dismissing England’s openers four times in the first over of an innings. He finished with two five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket match haul. He also became the most successful left-arm seamer during the Brisbane Test. Starc’s valuable knocks of 77 and 54 in Brisbane and Adelaide demonstrated his importance with the bat as well. Travis Head Matches: 5Runs: 629Travis Head was the most destructive batter of this series, piling up 629 runs, including three centuries. His fearless approach consistently put England under pressure. Asked to open the batting in the second innings of the opening Test in Perth, Head hammered 123 off 83 balls to take the game away from the Englishmen. There was no looking back for the left-hander thereafter. He maintained a fine strike-rate of 87.36 throughout the series, and his dominance left England’s bowlers struggling. Alex Carey Matches: 5Runs: 323Dismissals: 28While the pacers grabbed most of the attention, wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey emerged as the unsung hero of Australia’s success. He enjoyed a career-best series behind the stumps, finishing with 28 dismissals — 27 catches and one stumping. Carey also made vital contributions with the bat, scoring 323, including his maiden Ashes ton (106) in Adelaide, an innings that played a key role in the Aussies securing the Urn. Flops Ben Duckett Matches: 5Runs: 202Ben Duckett was one of the main reasons behind England’s struggles in Australian conditions. The opener averaged just 20.20 and failed to register a single half-century across 10 innings. His inability to see off the new ball repeatedly exposed Joe Root and the middle order to challenging conditions, denying England the solid starts they desperately needed. Zak Crawley Matches: 5Runs: 273 Zak Crawley endured a demoralising start to the series, being dismissed for a duck in both innings of the opening game in Perth. Although the 27-year-old showed flashes of brilliance with half-centuries in Brisbane and Adelaide, he struggled to be consistent throughout the series. Crawley finished with 273 runs at an average of 27.30 and lacked the grit needed to survive a tough five-Test series. Ollie Pope Matches: 3Runs: 125Top-order batter Ollie Pope’s had a difficult tour, described as “frenetic” and “chaotic” by former England captain Nasser Hussain. Struggling at the crucial No. 3 position, Pope managed only 125 runs at an average of 20.83 before being dropped for the final two Tests. His tour was marked by soft dismissals and an inability to adapt to Australia’s bouncy pitches, with a highest score of just 46 in six innings. England eventually replaced him with the young Jacob Bethell, 22, for the Boxing Day Test.
09 January,2026 08:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Rohan KoliAustralia clinched the fifth and final Ashes Test against England on Thursday by five wickets to complete a dominant 4-1 victory after a gruelling series, sending the retiring Usman Khawaja out on a high. The nervy hosts lost five wickets as they chased their 160 target, which they reached after lunch on Day Five with Cameron Green not out on 22 and Alex Carey on 16. Earlier, England were dismissed for 342 on the back of Jacob Bethell’s stylish 154. Smith reflected on his side’s Ashes series triumph with pride and perspective, describing the fifth Test as a fitting end to the hard-fought campaign. He also stated that the team knows how crucial every Test is in terms of WTC, with the side continuing to dominate at the top of the rankings. “It was nice to finish on a high note, and we know the importance of every Test match in terms of WTC. It was a good game of Test cricket and it was a well-earned victory. It was a great wicket out there, it had a bit of everything,” Smith said. Experience, Smith noted, also played a crucial role in Australia’s dominance. “I guess experience counts for a lot in a series like this as well. It’s obviously a big series. As an Australian and English cricketer, it’s the pinnacle. We’ve got an experienced side. We’ve played some really good cricket for the last four or five years, obviously making two World Test Championship finals. “We’ve got some guys in there that still want to keep getting better and improving. It’s just a great side to be a part of,” he said, highlighting Australia’s consistency over recent years and their appearances in two World Test Championship finals. 433No. of wickets claimed by Mitchell Starc in Tests. The pacer equals spinner Rangana Herath for the most scalps among left-handers This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 January,2026 08:43 AM IST | Sydney | AgenciesFormer India batting coach Vikram Rathour was on Thursday appointed Sri Lanka’s batting coach for the T20 World Cup beginning on February 7. The World Cup would be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Rathour will assume charge on January 18 and will remain with the team until March 10. Rathour is also a former India international who represented the country in six Tests and seven ODIs. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 January,2026 08:28 AM IST | Colombo | PTIBen Stokes vowed on Thursday to stay on as England captain and said he believes coach Brendon McCullum will too, while admitting there were “wrongs to put right” after a crushing 4-1 Ashes defeat. “Definitely, I’m as keen as anything to carry on,” he said after defeat in the fifth and final Test in Sydney. “And at the moment the challenge is getting the team back to where we once were in terms of the performances that we were delivering,” he added. Stokes said he expected New Zealander McCullum to still be in the job when they next play a Test in June. “I do expect him to be, but that’s not my decision. If I’m asked my opinion, he’ll be getting my full support and backing,” he said. “I absolutely love working with Baz. He’s a great man and he’s a very, very, very good coach,” he added. McCullum agreed there were “areas to improve” but said he won’t be told what to do. “I will look at it individually and say, ‘What could I have done better?’,” he told the BBC. “Am I for being told what to do? Of course I am not.” Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board said it had launched an immediate and “thorough” review. ECB chief executive Richard Gould released a statement calling the team’s failure to regain the Ashes “deeply disappointing”. “We will take many lessons from this tour and are determined to improve quickly. Our focus is on regaining the Ashes in 2027,” Gould said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 January,2026 08:21 AM IST | Sydney | AFPAfter the triumph over England, Australia's Steve Smith said that he is unsure about playing in the rivalry in 2027 in England, as he will be turning 38 years old by then. Speaking about it, the right-handed batsman said, "I'm sure everyone's excited to go there and try and win the Ashes". Smith further stated that he would like to tick off winning an Ashes series in England, and also said that the Australian squad in the previous four to five years has been amazing. "It's something that I certainly haven't done in my career, and something I'd like to tick off, whether I get there or not, it's a different question. The squad we've had over the last four or five years has been amazing. So hopefully we can keep growing, getting better," said the 36-year-old cricketer. The stand-in skipper also heaped praise on wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey by saying that he was unbelievable behind the stumps and also contributed with the willow. "He was unbelievable with both bat and gloves, I think. Just the way he was able to go up to the stumps, in particular to the quicks. Those guys are bowling late 130s [kph] almost hitting 140s at times. And he's just taken them easy. He works incredibly hard on it. And against this opposition, we thought that was a real threat, being able to keep them stuck on their crease and not allow them to dance at our bowlers. And he just did that so well, and the guys bowling to it just reciprocated and put the ball in the right areas," said Smith. Usman Khawaja's statistics Australia's traditional opening batsman, Usman Khawaja, also made his final appearance for the side. The 39-year-old veteran scored 6206 runs in 87 Test matches and 157 innings at an average of 43.39. Khawaja notched up 16 hundreds and 28 half-centuries in the longest format. In ODIs, the left-handed batter made 1554 runs in 40 matches and 39 innings at an average of 42, including two centuries and 12 fifties. In T20Is, the veteran scored 241 runs in nine outings with the help of one half-century. (With ANI Inputs)
08 January,2026 07:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
