The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to hold brainstorming sessions on expanding the Women's Premier League (WPL) beyond its current five-team format, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced on Thursday, 29 October 2026 in Kochi. The comments came a day after the WPL 2027 auction, where roughly 150 players were registered but only 25 cricketers secured spots across the five franchises.

What Prompted the Expansion Talk

Saikia pointed to the stark disparity between the available talent pool and the league's current absorption capacity. 'There are about 150 players who are in the fray here and hardly 27 we had to take but still so many players were left out. So we can very easily see that five number of teams are really less compared to the number of supply chain of girls cricketers,' he said in a video posted on the WPL's official social media handles.

With just five franchises, the WPL can accommodate only a small fraction of India's expanding domestic women's cricket talent pool. Adding one or two more teams — alongside a higher player budget — is expected to open more pathways for domestic cricketers to participate at the franchise level.

Saikia's Vision for a Bigger Ecosystem

'From next year, definitely we will have to do some brainstorming sessions to increase the number of teams as well as in other areas where we can improve. Not only the players but so many other areas we are having involvement in, right from the coaches, selectors, etc, and various stakeholders are involved here,' Saikia added. He framed the expansion as a broader ecosystem upgrade — not limited to player slots but extending to coaches, selectors, and franchise operations.

He also expressed optimism about the league's trajectory, saying, 'the overall ecosystem has a positive impact on WPL. This is a wonderful beginning, and this is a wonderful journey going on and I hope WPL will grow from leaps and bounds in the coming years.'

15-Year-Old Uma Kashvi — A Standout Moment

Among the highlights of the WPL 2027 auction was the signing of Uma Kashvi, a 15-year-old uncapped all-rounder, by Delhi Capitals for ₹10 lakh. Saikia welcomed the development enthusiastically: 'I am very happy that a young girl of 15 years got an opportunity to play in the WPL. That is a success. We want to bring maximum women cricketers to play and be a part of this success story in Indian women's cricket.'

WPL's Role in India's World Cup Win

Saikia credited the WPL with contributing significantly to the Indian women's national team's ascent, including their ODI World Cup title won last year, which made India the reigning champions. 'We are the present champions in the world and that shows the expansion this WPL has given all across the country so far as women's cricket is concerned,' he said.

Launched in 2023, the WPL has completed four editions, with the 2027 season scheduled from 14 January to 7 February. Saikia described it as 'one of the big leagues in the world of franchise cricket after the IPL,' and said the league has played a direct role in India now 'dominating in women's cricket.'

The next concrete step — formal expansion talks — is expected to begin ahead of the 2028 WPL season, with the BCCI yet to announce a timeline or the number of additional franchises being considered.