The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has a blockbuster cricket schedule in the offing for 2027 as it prepares to make key decisions regarding the Women's Premier League (WPL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL). This includes expanding the footprint of the WPL and a potentially historic vote on whether the controversial Impact Player rule in the IPL should be retained or scrapped.

WPL 2027: Kochi Auction and New Frontiers

The upcoming WPL season is set to witness further discussion, with reports suggesting that the WPL 2027 auction is scheduled to take place in Kochi on October 28.

In addition to the auction, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is working on finalizing the venues for the women's T20 franchise league to introduce it to new audiences:

Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium: The home of the IPL final in 2023 and the venue for the WPL match in 2025 will also host the competition in 2027, as the stadium was closed for maintenance due to floodlight installation works during the 2026 season.

The Second Venue Fight: The BCCI is considering two options to host the second match of the WPL – Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, which hosted the WPL 2026 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the winner, or the new stadium in Varanasi.

The BCCI cricket committee will visit the new stadium in Varanasi, as it is a new ground and the authorities wish to test the facilities before making it a regular host for matches.

The decision to host the matches in Bengaluru was also considered, but permission from the local administration is required for any event to be held in the city.

Meanwhile, it is reported that Brabourne Stadium and Kotambi Stadium are also set to host matches for the six-nation ICC Women's Champions Trophy to be held in India from February 14-28, 2027.

IPL Impact Player Rule: The decision on the future of the IPL's controversial Impact Player rule is set to be made in the coming month.

As the WPL prepared for its expansion, the IPL Governing Council met to discuss the controversial Impact Player rule, with a decision deferred to next month.

Franchisees' Views: The BCCI has sought direct feedback from all ten IPL franchises about the proposed changes to the IPL regulations regarding the Impact Player. Although each franchise has provided extensive comments, it is reported that the majority of IPL teams have voiced their concerns about the Impact Player system to the BCCI.

Impact Player Rule Discussion: The Impact Player rule was introduced to enable a team to replace an impact player in the batting or bowling attack with another one during a match. Although the system has led to extremely high-scoring matches with deeper batting line-ups, many cricket pundits have criticized the rule for negatively impacting Indian all-rounders' development.

As the feedback from the IPL franchises is being reviewed by the BCCI, October is set to provide a definitive answer on the future of the IPL's Impact Player rule.