Delhi Premier League 2026 Set for July 31 Start; Auction on July 1

The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Tuesday announced that the third season of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) will run from July 31 to August 30, 2026. The player auction is set for July 1, with eight men’s teams and four women’s teams in the month-long competition.

The men’s event will include Central Delhi Kings, East Delhi Riders, New Delhi Tigers, North Delhi Strikers, Outer Delhi Warriors, Purani Dilli 6, South Delhi Superstarz and West Delhi Lions. The women’s side will feature Central Delhi Queens, East Delhi Riders Women, North Delhi Strikers Women and South Delhi Superstarz Women.

Last season, West Delhi Lions, led by Nitish Rana, won their first DPL title after beating Central Delhi Kings by six wickets in the final. In the women’s competition, South Delhi Superstarz, captained by Shweta Sehrawat, defeated Central Delhi Queens to take the title.

Over the past two seasons, the DPL has grown into a major platform for cricketers in Delhi, bringing together senior players and emerging talent from the city’s cricket setup. The league has also drawn interest around its role in identifying players for higher levels of the game.

Several well-known cricketers are expected in the new season, including India internationals and IPL players Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma, Nitish Rana, Harshit Rana, Navdeep Saini, Ayush Badoni, Anuj Rawat, Priyansh Arya, Suyash Sharma, Digvesh Rathi, Mayank Rawat, Prince Yadav, Yash Dhull, Simarjeet Singh, Himmat Singh, Hrithik Shokeen and Sarthak Ranjan.

The women’s competition is also expected to include Shweta Sehrawat, Priya Punia, Soni Yadav and Ayushi Soni, along with Tanisha Singh, Nazma, Monika and Purva Siwach. DDCA President Rohan Jaitley, Vice President Shikha Kumar and Secretary Ashok Sharma each said the league has become an important part of Delhi cricket’s calendar.