Lucknow Women’s Premier League : 2026 Begins With Grand Opening Ceremony, Chief Guest (Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak) Inaugurated The League

Lucknow: The inaugural Lucknow Women’s Premier League (LWPL) 2026 got off to a grand start with an opening ceremony at the SAGE Ground, located at the Gomti Riverfront. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, the chief guest, formally inaugurated the league and encouraged the all participating players.

Addressing the gathering, Pathak expressed pride that Lucknow is hosting a women’s cricket league for the first time. He said the tournament would provide the city’s daughters with a major platform to showcase their talent and performances, helping them pursue opportunities at the state and national levels and potentially earn a place in the Women’s Premier League.

League Chairman and CAL President Dr. Navneet Sehgal ji said the tournament has given the city’s women cricketers a professional and grand platform to demonstrate their abilities. He expressed confidence that the league would contribute to raising the standard of women’s cricket in Lucknow.

The opening ceremony was attended by League Brand Ambassador Rita Dey, CAL Secretary K.M. Khan, League Commissioner S.P. Mishra, Organizing Committee Chairman Piyush Pandey, and League Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Shaili, along with franchise owners and other dignitaries.

Six teams, intense competition —-

6 teams, featuring players from Lucknow, are participating in the six-day tournament. Each team will play three league matches, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals.

The league stage will feature double-header matches on three days, while September 25 will have three matches. All league-stage matches will be played at the SAGE Ground at the Gomti Riverfront. The semi-finals and final will be held at the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow.

Matches will be played both during the day and under floodlights in the evening, adding to the atmosphere of the tournament.

Rs. 2 lakh prize for champions

The champions will receive a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh, while the runners-up will be awarded Rs. 1.50 lakh. Individual cash awards will also be presented for the Purple Cap, Orange Cap, Player of the League and Player of the Match.

The tournament features several notable players. Chandni Sharma, who has represented India A, is among the participants. Other prominent names include all-rounders Sandhya Yadav, Sonali Singh, Arzoo Singh and Anvesha Chatterjee; batters Anshu Tiwari, Shashibalan, Priyanshi Yadav, Priyanshi Pandey and Ayushi Srivastava; and bowlers Shilpi and Sandhya Kshetri.

With local talent getting an opportunity to perform on a professional platform, the Lucknow Women’s Premier League aims to provide a pathway for emerging cricketers to take the next step in their careers.