Here’s why BCCI excludes Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium from hosting WPL and other Women’s cricket events

In a surprise announcement on January 24,… Bank of Credit and Commerce International Lucknow has been officially ruled out as a venue for the current version of Women’s Premier League (WPL). Secretary of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry Devaget Saikia It confirmed that the tournament was limited to a ‘caravan’ model of two venues, Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, citing logistical hurdles and a disappointing history of fan attendance in the Uttar Pradesh capital.

cricket-and-wpl-the-reasons-behind-the-decision">BCCI sidelines Ekana Women’s Cricket Stadium and WPL: Reasons behind the decision

According to Sportstar, the BCCI announced that the decision to omit the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow was driven by the city’s inability to attract sufficient crowds for women’s cricket. Saikia was frank in his assessment, saying:“There is always a lack of crowds in women’s cricket. Even for IPL matches, there is less crowd [in Lucknow] than it was in other places. So we are not asking Lucknow to host women’s events because we want people to come and enjoy the game.

This move comes as a huge blow to Up Warriorswho were effectively denied home advantage for the second year in a row. Saikia also pointed out that Delhi has been left out because they are currently being groomed for the upcoming T20 World Cup, leaving the board with very few viable options that align with franchise territories.

“Earlier, we hosted the tournament in four venues, Delhi, Lucknow, Vadodara and Navi Mumbai. But this time we are doing it in only two venues, because Delhi will host the T20 World Cup, while there are issues with Lucknow,” he said. Saikia added.

Read also: Gujarat Giants player Titas Sadhu has been ruled out of the remainder of WPL 2026, replacement announced

Two-place strategy for WPL 2026

The BCCI announced that the DY Patel Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the Kutambi Stadium in Vadodara will serve as the exclusive hosts for the 22-match tournament to ensure logistical efficiency. Saikia highlighted the success achieved by DY Patel Stadium during the 2025 Women’s World Cup, noting, “So, we are left with very few options. Vadodara is a great place, and on the other hand, we saw the response of the fans and facilities at the DY Patel Stadium for the Women’s World Cup final. It was great. These two stadiums are useful for us logistically as well,”

While fans in Kolkata and Chennai have also been vocal about their desire for matches, the BCCI has made it clear that matches cannot be held in the cities without a dedicated WPL franchise. However, Saikia offered a glimmer of hope for the future, he promised “Otherwise, we have very limited states because we have to look at the territories of those franchises. We cannot hold a match in Kolkata or Chennai because neither of those cities have any WPL franchise. So, all other states are excluded as well.” Indicating a broader expansion once the league adds more teams to its roster.

Read also: WPL 2026: Delhi Capitals’ Lizelle Li was fined and demerited after confronting the referee over her controversial sending off

This article was first published on WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.