Baroda and Lucknow have been shortlisted as venues for the tournament

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

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

While the BCCI is yet to officially confirm the dates and venues of the five teams, it has already held informal discussions with the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). The Board of Directors is likely to make an official announcement regarding the location and date soon.

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Baroda has recently upgraded its international standard facility, the Kutambi Stadium. The stadium was opened in December 2024 and hosted the three-match ODI series between the India and West Indies women’s teams. The venue has also hosted several Women’s T20 Championship matches and some Ranji Trophy matches.

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

With BCCI planning to host the WPL in two phases, BCA sought to host the second phase in order to give final touches to the venue. The news outlet also reported that the 2025 WPL final is likely to take place on March 8-9.

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Location of the first two seasons of the WPL:

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

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru hosted the first phase of the tournament while the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi hosted the second phase.

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Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions. The Smriti Mandhana-led team beat Delhi Capitals in the deciding match to win the WPL title for the first time.