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WPL 2026 Matches Behind Closed Doors Jan 14-15 Due to Civic Polls

The BCCI has decided to hold the Women's Premier League 2026 matches on January 14 and 15 behind closed doors at the DY Patil Stadium. This precautionary measure is due to the Brihanmumbai and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections, with security forces needed for poll duty. Spectators will be permitted to attend matches again starting with the Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru game on January 16. Accredited media, however, will be allowed access to the stadium on the affected days.

Key Points: WPL 2026 Matches Closed to Public for Mumbai Civic Polls

  • Matches on Jan 14-15 closed to spectators
  • Decision due to BMC and NMMC elections
  • Security personnel deployed for polls
  • Normal crowd attendance resumes from Jan 16
2 min read

WPL 2026: January 14-15 matches to be played behind closed doors due to civic polls

BCCI announces WPL 2026 matches on Jan 14 & 15 will be played without spectators due to Navi Mumbai municipal elections. Crowds return Jan 16.

"This decision has been taken in light of the Municipal Corporation Elections in Navi Mumbai on January 15, 2026. - BCCI"

Navi Mumbai, Jan 13

The Women's Premier League 2026 matches scheduled for January 14 and 15 at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, will be conducted behind closed doors, without spectators, due to elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the civic body for Mumbai, and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation in the state.

However, the spectators will be allowed to attend the Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru game on January 16, with the BCCI secretary informing that the 'counting day' is not being taken into account.

"This decision has been taken in light of the Municipal Corporation Elections in Navi Mumbai on January 15, 2026. Spectators will be permitted entry into the stadium from January 16, 2026, onwards, and all subsequent matches will be played with crowds in attendance. TATA WPL 2026 accredited media will be allowed entry on both days - January 14, 2026, and January 15, 2026 in the stadium," BCCI, the organising body, said in a statement.

Earlier, Devajit Saikia told IANS that two of the upcoming league stage matches of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 will likely be held behind closed doors due to elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the civic body for Mumbai, and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) in the state.

With most security personnel deployed for elections, it may be difficult to manage the crowd on the day of the polling, January 15, and the day before, January 14. Hence, the Indian cricket board decided not to allow spectators into the DY Patil stadium for the Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz fixture and the Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz contest, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The ticket sales for the Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore encounter were opened after the BCCI made the formal announcements.

The WPL fixture list was released on November 29 last year, while the election schedule was made public on December 15. It is understood that the WPL organisers were informed soon after the election dates were finalised.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Fully support this decision. Elections are the foundation of our democracy. Managing huge crowds for cricket when police are needed for polling duty is not practical. Safety first! The matches will still be on TV for us to enjoy. 🇮🇳
A
Aman W
Good move by BCCI. Navi Mumbai police will be stretched thin. Imagine the chaos if there was a big crowd at the stadium and something happened during election day. Better to be safe than sorry. Hope they give full refunds quickly to the ticket holders.
S
Sarah B
It's a bit sad for the players too. WPL is growing so fast and empty stands for two big matches isn't great for the atmosphere. But understandable given the circumstances. At least media is allowed, so coverage won't suffer.
V
Vikram M
Typical last-minute Indian planning. Everyone knows election dates are unpredictable, but once they were announced in Dec, BCCI should have proactively rescheduled these two matches to another venue or dates. Now fans suffer.
K
Kavya N
My cousin was coming from Pune for the MI match! Now plans ruined. While I get the security reason, the communication should have been earlier. They opened ticket sales knowing this was a possibility? Not fair on the fans.

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