Bengal senior women's team qualified for the final of the Senior Women's T20 Trophy after a gap of two years. They defeated Himachal Pradesh in a rain effected match in the semis. The two-time finalists will now go one on one against the most successful team in the tournament's history, Railways.

In the race to the final, Bengal women's team defeated teams like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Pondicherry, Chandigarh and Saurashtra in the group stage and quarter-final. The stat that comes out interestingly from those games is that Bengal has been able to restrict their opponent below 100 in five games (when full 20 overs were played).

But, just two seasons ago, things and stats were different for the Bengal bowlers. Things started to change when the Cricket Association of Bengal appointed their very own Shiv Sagar Singh to guide the women's team in the bowling department. Shiv Sagar, popularly known as Shibu in Bengal cricket played an enormous amount of cricket to know every bit and piece of the game. He himself was a left-arm spinner and played in the 1998 U19 World Cup as well. Bengal's trust in the former first-class player started paying off when young bowlers started believing in the thought process of their new guide.

"Gaining the trust of the players was the first and foremost thing for me," said Shiv Sagar in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point. Since all the Bengal bowlers had their own processes, trusting the new process was very important for them.

"The girls are very much talented. Most importantly all of them are sincere and have the will to learn. So, it made my job easier. I just wanted to make them accurate and ready for all the situations," Shiv Sagar added.

"I want to create a bowling unit that will give Bengal women's team service for five years"

Shiv Sagar Singh.

In two and a half months with the girls, the former Bengal spinner taught each one of them how to have a different plan for the T20 format of the game and be successful in it. "The good-length ball becomes a slot delivery in the T20 format. So, you have to train differently according to the format and bowl in the areas where you will not go for the runs. The more you stop runs, the more pressure you build on the batters and thus you get them out." Shiv Sagar explained his plans for the T20 format.

Read Also: Women's T20 Challenge: "I want to give my all if the opportunity comes," says Saiqa Ishaque

Bengal bowlers like Sukanya Parida, Gouher Sultana, Saiqa Ishaque and Mita Paul have found results from this plan. In fact, they have been able to put pressure on current India players as well by just bowling accurately and to the plan.

"I just told them to do things that we practised for two and a half months. It does not matter who is batting against you. A good ball is a good ball for everyone. If you can set a field according to it and be consistent with your planning, you can win over any opposition," Shiv Sagar Singh added.

Along with that, Shiv Sagar feels having variations up in the sleeve is important in the shortest format of the game. The bowlers should be ready whenever the batters are trying to oppose their plans. As per him, variations along with consistent tough lines and length are the formula for taking wickets.

Read Also: Women's Cricket Exclusive: Durgapur's Bidisha Dey is looking to emerge as an effective all-rounder

Read Also: "Keep an eye on Mita Paul and Dhara Gujjar": Former Indian Cricketer Gargi Banerjee after Byju's Bengal Women's T20 Blast

However, it is always easy to execute your plans in the big matches and get results against tough opponents. This is when the mental part of the bowling comes in, believes the Bengal coach. "I have made them mentally strong for every situation. They are aware of the skill they have. Moroever, they are mentally more confident now as a bowling unit."

Bengal is looking for their first-ever trophy in the senior women's t20 tournament and Shiv Sagar feels although Railways is always a tough opponent, Bengal will be confident to clinch the trophy this time. "We will have to keep doing what we have done best throughout the tournament and play within our strength in the final," Shiv Sagar expressed before the final tomorrow.

Senior Women's T20 Trophy | Final | Railways vs Bengal

Date: 5th November 2022
Time: 9.30 am
Ground: M.CHINNASWAMY STADIUM, BANGALORE
How to watch the match: The final of the Senior Women's T20 Trophy will be live-streamed on Hotstar and Star Sports channel in India.

The fourth season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is set to begin with an auction in Delhi on November 27. The full schedule for the upcoming season will be released immediately following the auction. It is confirmed that the entire tournament will be played in January 2026. Vadodara and Navi Mumbai could be the potential host cities for this mega event.

Also Read: WPL 2026 Auction Details: 277 players to enter auction, 73 slots vacant

The tournament's first mega auction

In the inaugural season in 2023, RCB Women acquired Smriti Mandhana for a whopping ₹3.40 crore (340 million rupees). Nat Sciver-Brunt, who plays for MI Women, was also purchased for ₹3.20 crore (320 million rupees). The tournament's first mega auction will take place in 2026. It will be interesting to see if any player sells for a higher price than RCB captain Smriti Mandhana. Therefore, it's important to know when and what time the WPL 2026 auction will be live streamed.

Auction rules

Each team will be allowed to build a squad of up to 18 players. In all, 73 slots - including 23 overseas spots - are available to be filled across the five teams. For the first time, the WPL auction rules allow the franchises the use up to five Right to Match (RTM) options, depending on the number of retentions, to buy back a player who was part of their squad in 2025.

Teams that retained fewer players will have more RTM options and a larger purse going into the mega auction. All teams will have a combined purse of INR 41.1 crore to spend at the auction.

Remaining purse for each team

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team's upcoming schedule (men and women)

When will the WPL 2026 auction start?

The WPL 2026 auction will take place on Thursday, November 27.

How many teams will participate in the WPL 2026 auction?

In just three seasons, the WPL has transformed into one of the biggest women’s T20 leagues globally, now valued higher than Pakistan’s PSL. Five teams - Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women, Mumbai Indians Women, Delhi Capitals Women, UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants Women will participate in the WPL 2026 auction.

What time will the WPL 2026 auction start?

The WPL 2026 auction will begin at 3:30 PM IST.

Which TV channels will broadcast the WPL 2026 auction live in India?

Indian fans will be able to watch the WPL 2026 auction live on TV on Star Sports Network channels.

How to watch live-streaming of the WPL 2026 auction in India?

Live-streaming of the WPL 2026 auction will be available on the JioHotstar app and its official website.

The official list of players for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 auction has been released. A record 277 players will be part of the auction, with just 73 available slots. The auction will be held on November 27 in New Delhi and will start at 3.30 pm.

The number of players participating in the WPL 2026 auction has almost doubled compared to last season, which clearly shows that the Women's Premier League is becoming increasingly popular and has become a centre of attraction for women cricketers from all over the world.

Also Read: ICC Women's World Cup Past Winners & Most Successful Teams

Balance of Indian and foreign players

This time, there are 194 Indian players in the WPL 2026 auction list, including 52 capped players and 142 uncapped players. Capped players are those who have played international matches, and uncapped players are those who have not yet made their international debut. They will be competing for the 50 Indian slots available for teams. The overseas players section also includes some of the best cricketers. 

A total of 83 foreign players are also on the list, including 66 capped players and 17 uncapped players. There are 23 slots available for them.

🚨 NEWS 🚨#TATAWPL 2026 Player Auction List Announced.

The #TATAWPLAuction 2026 list has been announced, with a total of 277 players vying for 73 available slots. The auction will take place in New Delhi on 27th November at 3:30 PM IST.

Details 🔽https://t.co/1hTLRHqzEL

— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) November 21, 2025

Base Price Bracket: Who will get the highest bid?

The base price is also in the news this time. The base prices are set at ₹30 lakh, ₹40 lakh, and ₹50 lakh. There are 88 players who have registered at the base price of ₹30 lakh.

There are 11 players with a base price of 4 million and 19 players with a base price of 5 million. This means the 3 million category is the largest group this time, making it clear that this bracket will be fiercely competitive.

Marquee Set: A clash of the world's top players

The auction will begin with the Marquee Set, a pool consisting of the world's top women cricketers. This is expected to be a strong start to the auction. The marquee set includes eight veteran players like Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sophie Devine, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Ecclestone, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt.

Of these, players like Meg Lanning, Ecclestone, Healy and Wolvaardt have already performed brilliantly in the Women's Premier League, while Deepti Sharma and Renuka are stars of the Indian team.

Most teams have already retained their key players. Therefore, this auction will be an opportunity to select players who can fill the void in their squads. Teams will also focus on balancing their death bowling. Match-finishers and power-hitter players will also be in focus. Lower-ranked teams will see this auction as a prime opportunity for change and a better performance in the upcoming season.

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team's upcoming schedule (men and women)

WPL 2026 Auction List | India international players and base prices

On day two of the Bengal versus Assam Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Elite Group C match at the Bengal Cricket Academy in Kalyani, an unusual sight caught everyone's attention: a foreign couple, both sporting Indian cricket team hats, watched the entire game with unwavering enthusiasm. Their presence piqued the curiosity of Sportz Point, prompting a deeper look into their fascinating story.

Meet David Marucs and Deborah Marcus, who came all the way from England to watch the India vs South Africa Test series at Eden Gardens, and since the Test match was over in three days, they did not want to waste the opportunity to watch a Ranji Trophy match.

English couple’s love for cricket makes them return back to India

The 70-year-old couple has been married for 13 years since Deborah’s first husband passed away. Ever since, Deborah has accompanied David on his cricket adventures, journeying to India with him twice each year to indulge his passion for the sport. “David loves cricket, and I travel with him to every cricket match he goes to,” Deborah shared with Sportz Point.

David, a former software engineer from England, first visited India in 2009 and, since then, has been coming here frequently. “I love the enthusiasm for cricket here. Everyone is so attached to the game. I love the passion. I even have a five-year visa,” David told us.

Read Also: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 Full Details: Schedule, Start Date, Format & Will Rohit Sharma Play?

Both David and Deborah were impressed to see the number of fans who turned up for the India vs South Africa, 1st Test at Eden Gardens. “It was around 48,000 people on Friday and even more on Saturday. It is great for Test cricket. But, it was sad to see the match getting over in three days,” David expressed.

The elderly couple, however, was not impressed with a few things at the Eden Gardens Cricket stadium during their visit to the ground. “There should be more food and a few more things available for the fans at the stadium, who were not under the shade. It was hot. But, even with the sun out, fans kept on turning up, which is great,” David added.

From England to New Zealand via India, just for love of cricket

Although David is from England, Deborah is from New Zealand. They both now live in England, and every year they travel to New Zealand to see her family there. But their love for cricket will take them to New Zealand via India.

“From here, we will go to Guwahati to watch the second Test. From there on, we will travel to New Zealand,” Deborah shared.

In the 2024 India vs England Test series, both David and Deborah travelled in five Indian cities, from Hyderabad to Himachal Pradesh, for the five Tests. In between that, Deborah even went to Kashmir to watch one of the most scenic places on earth.

“Last year, we travelled to five cities during the Test series. But there was a gap between the end of the fourth Test in Ranchi and the start of the final Test in Dharamshala. So, I even went to Kashmir as well,” Deborah told.

Read Also: Fast, accurate and fearless: Nuruddin Mondal bowling bouncer to life every day

Deborah, who played Croquet for New Zealand in the past, is proud to see the growth of Women’s Cricket in England and in India, too. “It is great to see how women’s cricket is growing. I have seen it in England, and I believe it is growing in India as well. More people should come up and invest in women’s cricket,” Deborah added.

Despite the concerning air pollution in the northern part of India, especially in Delhi, the couple wishes to come back to India for their love of cricket.

“We can sense the love for cricket here. Even in domestic matches, people are coming to watch games. The IPL has changed the future of the game, too. We would love to see IPL matches in India someday as well. It’s just an electric atmosphere,” David told us, just before catching their taxi from Kalyani to Kolkata, from where they will fly to Guwahati to watch the second Test between India and South Africa.

After winning only one point against Tripura a few days back, Bengal will face Railways in their fourth round match of the Elite Group C contest in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 at Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat. In the absence of Abhimanyu Easwaran and Abishek Porel, Sudip Gharami will lead the Bengal team, as reported by Sportz Point earlier.

Match details

Match: Railways vs Bengal, Elite Group C, Ranji Trophy 2025-26

Date: 8 November 2025 - 11 November 2025

Venue: Lalbhai Contractor Stadium

Streaming: No streaming available

Spin-friendly pitch might produce a result

With most of the matches of Group C already producing results, Railways would love to take advantage of their conditions and go for an outright win when Bengal will miss stars like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Abishek Porel, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami, and Mukesh Kumar.

As per the reports, the pitch at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium will be a spin-friendly one, with Railways having spinners like Karn Sharma, the captain, along with Akash Pandey, who has done well for them in the last few seasons. Moreover, Akash Pandey, who is for Bengal, knows most of the Bengal batters as well.

Even Bengal will have Shahbaz Ahmed along with Rahul Prasad, who made his debut in the last match against Tripura last week.

Read Also: Tripura vs Bengal, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 recap: Tripura shocks Bengal with tons from Vihari and Mura; Tripura 3, Bengal 1

Sudip Gharami to lead Bengal

As we had reported earlier, Sudip Gharami will lead the Bengal side with Abhimanyu Easwaran and Abishek Porel missing the game. Easwaran is in India-A duty, whereas Porel will be in action in the Rising Stars Asia Cup and has left for the Centre of Excellence (COE) before leaving for Qatar.

Gharami has led Bengal in the past in white-ball tournaments last season, where Bengal went on to qualify for the knockouts of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Due to the unavailability of the players, Bengal will now have three captains in the last three games.

Aditya Purohit to make his debut

After Kazi Junaid Saifi’s shocking return to first-class cricket, where he could only add 1 run in three innings (1,0,0), he was released from the squad. Now that makes the case for Aditya Purohit, another left-handed opener, who did well for Adamas Howrah Warriors in BPT20L and club cricket, to make his first-class debut.

Purohit will be opening the innings with captain Sudip Gharami, whereas we can expect Subham Chatterjee to return to the playing XI in the middle order. Shakir Habib Gandhi, who scored 95 in the first inning against Tripura, will continue as their No.3 along with Anustup Majumdar at 4.

Subham and Sumnata can bat anywhere in 5 or 6 with Shahbaz Ahmed at 7.

In the bowling department, Rahul Prasad will continue as the second spinner of the team, with Mohammed Kaif giving depth in the pace bowling department. Ishan Porel will be playing his 50th first-class match with Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal coming back in the lineup, replacing Mohammed Shami.

Points table situtation

Bengal are currently at No.3 with 13 points, while Railways are at No.5 with four points.

Bengal’s possible XI

Aditya Purohit, Sudip Gharami (C), Shakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Anustup Majumdar, Subham Chatterjee, Sumanta Gupta, Shahbaz Ahmed, Rahul Prasad, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Kaif, Ishan Porel.

After returning with only one point against Tripura in Agaratala in their third match, Bengal will again, for the second time in this Ranji Trophy 2025-26 will have to look for a new captain. Not only that, they will have to add a new wicket-keeper batter after Abishek Porel’s India-A call-up for the Rising Star Asia Cup tournament in Qatar.

Mistakes cost Bengal six points

Okay, if not six, it definitely cost Bengal 3 points. Three dropped catches, and among them, three from the stand-in captain, Abishek Porel. Hanuma Vihari, who scored a three-point winning 141, was dropped twice by wicket-keeper Abishek Porel, one off Mohammed Kaif and one off his cousin brother Ishan Porel.

Later on, Anustup Majumdar could not hold on to a tough one of Vijay Shankar in the wide first slip as well. These mistakes allowed Tripura to make a comeback in the match. From 53/5, they scored 385 to earn their first point of the season.

If Bengal could hold onto those chances, they were surely in for six points, with Mohammed Kaif and Ishan Porel looking in rhythm, obviously alongside Mohammed Shami.

Sudip Gharami might become the captain for the Railways match

Since Abishek Porel will be in the India-A team for the Rising Star Asia Cup, Bengal will have to look for a new captain for the second time in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 this season. Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was named the captain ahead of the season, is currently unavailable till the Assam match due to India-A duties, and till then, Sudip Gharami might be made the captain of the side.

Sudip last year led Bengal in the white-ball format, and Bengal played in the knockouts of the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well under his captaincy. Although there is Anustup Majumdar, who can be captain as well, it is unlikely that the 41-year-old batter would take the responsibility just for one match.

Read Also: Tripura vs Bengal, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 recap: Tripura shocks Bengal with tons from Vihari and Mura; Tripura 3, Bengal 1

Now, to replace Abishek Porel, Bengal will not only need a captain, but they will have to add a wicket-keeper batter as well. Keepers like Agniv Pan, Suvankar Bal, who have first-class experience, can be options as well. Meantime, U-19 or U-23 keepers can be called up for the Railways too.

Shami might not travel to Surat

During the press conference after the match against Gujarat, Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla had said to the media that it is not possible to expect Mohammed Shami will play all the matches of the season. Now, after playing three consecutive matches and going wicketless for the first time this season against Tripura, there will be a question about his workload.

So, the calculations might end up with Mohammed Shami not travelling to Surat for the match against Railways. It is unlikely that Bengal will add some other bowlers from outside the current squad. In that case, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal can come into the playing XI, with Sumit Mohanta continuing as a backup pacer.

Bengal will leave for Surat on 5th November.

When is the Railways vs Bengal, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 match?

The Railways vs Bengal, Ranji Trophy 2025-26 match will be played from 8th November 2025 to 11 November 2025 at Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat.