MI UPW game set to be played behind closed doors on Jan 15 as there are civic elections to be held in the city.
Due to municipal corporation elections in Navi Mumbai on January 15, WPL 2026 matches on two days this week will be played behind closed doors with no spectators.
The police have notified the BCCI that they will not be able to provide sufficient protection for cricket on the day of the election and the WPL. Whether the games on January 14 and 16, the days before and following the election, would likewise take place behind closed doors has not yet been determined.
Tickets for the games on January 14, 15, and 16 are not currently available for purchase on the official WPL online ticket portal. If that continues to be the case, the following games are probably going to be affected: Gujarat Giants vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru on January 16, Delhi Capitals vs. UP Warriorz on January 14, and Mumbai Indians (MI) vs. UP Warriorz on January 15.
Last year, the election date was announced on December 15 and the WPL program was made public on November 29. It is believed that shortly after the election date was set, the WPL committee was informed. Fans are likely to be ignorant of the situation because the BCCI has not yet made the news of spectators being prohibited public.
The opening game on Friday had a near full house, while the weekend’s double-headers also attracted sizeable crowds.
Tickets are being sold for the double-header on January 17 at the DY Patil Stadium – MI vs UPW and DC vs RCB – after which the league moves to Vadodara for the remainder of the season.