Baroda and Lucknow were shortlisted as the venues for the tournament

The much-awaited third edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will take place in two stages in two cities. According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shortlisted Baroda and Lucknow as potential venues for the competition.

According to Cricbuzz, the WPL 2025 season will start on February 6 or 7 in Lucknow. On the other hand, Baroda is in the running to host the second phase of the tournament including the final.

While BCCI is yet to officially confirm the dates and venues for the five franchises, it has already held informal talks with Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). The board is likely to announce the venue and date officially soon.

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Baroda recently built a facility to international standards, the Kotambi Stadium. The stadium opened in December 2024 and hosted a three-match ODI series between India and West Indies women’s teams. The venue has also hosted several matches of the senior women’s T20 tournament and several Ranji Trophy games.

The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA), which has been awarded the knockout rounds of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, is also likely to conduct the semi-finals and final under lights at the Kotambi Stadium to check the full readiness of the new facility.

Since the BCCI is planning to host the WPL in two phases, the BCA has sought to host the second phase to complete the events. The news also reported that the WPL 2025 finals are likely to be held around March 8 and 9.

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Venue for the first two seasons of the WPL:

The first edition of the competition was entirely held in Mumbai. The matches were played at two grounds – Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, and Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. WPL’s second edition of the tournament was played in Bengaluru and Delhi.

Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium hosted the first phase of the tournament, while Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium hosted the second phase.

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Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions. The Smriti Mandhana-led side defeated Delhi Capitals in the title decider to win the WPL for the first time.