WPL all teams captains (X-WPL)

The Women’s Premier League returns for its 2026 season on Friday, January 9, with a blockbuster opening clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and former winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru. With Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz also in the mix, another fiercely contested edition is on the cards.

WPL 2026 format

The tournament continues with the familiar double round-robin structure, with all five teams facing each other twice during the league phase. At the end of the league stage, the top three teams will progress to the play-offs. The table-toppers will secure a direct spot in the final, while the teams finishing second and third will meet in the Eliminator to decide the other finalist. Mumbai Indians lifted the inaugural WPL title in 2023 and reclaimed the trophy last season from 2024 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, will be keen to go one step further after finishing as runners-up in each of the first three editions.

WPL 2026 schedule: dates, venues and timings

WPL 2026 squads

Mumbai Indians Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Gunalan Kullkarni, Nicola Carey, Sanskriti Gupta, Rahil Firdous, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth Royal Challengers Bengaluru Smriti Mandhana (C), Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, Dayalan Hemalatha UP Warriorz Meg Lanning (C), Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Phoebe Litchfield, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Gaud, Shweta Sehrawat, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Suman Meena, Simran Shaikh, G Trisha, Pratika Rawal Delhi Capitals Jemimah Rodrigues (C), Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Shree Charani, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandani Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani Gujarat Giants Ashleigh Gardner (C), Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia, Anushka Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar, Kanika Ahuja, Titas Sadhu, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Shivani Singh, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi Soni

WPL 2026 live streaming details

The 2026 Women’s Premier League will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network. Fans can also watch all matches via digital streaming on the Jio Hotstar app and website.

FIDE and Freestyle Chess agree terms on World Championship (Photos by Michal Walusza and ChessBase India)

NEW DELHI: Late on Wednesday night, Emil Sutovsky, the chief executive officer (CEO) of FIDE, the International Chess Federation, chose a phrase heavy with symbolism.“Burying the hatchet!” he wrote on X, announcing that FIDE and Freestyle Chess had finally reached an agreement.

The deal would see the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship staged at Weissenhaus, Germany, from February 13 to 15, 2026.“The event is governed by FIDE in collaboration with Freestyle Chess,” the statement said.But for those who avoided the bitter public dispute between the two sides over the past couple of years, the question lingered: what exactly had been buried?The answer lies in a saga that began in late 2024, when Freestyle Chess organisers sought to crown their winner the “Freestyle Chess World Champion.”FIDE objected immediately. The international governing body asserted that only it had the authority to sanction any world championship title in chess.What followed became one of the most controversial episodes in modern chess governance.From October 2024 onwards, Freestyle co-founder and CEO Jan Henric Buettner and FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich remained in steady contact as they sought to defuse the growing dispute.And as a breakthrough appeared close, Buettner published an open letter accusing FIDE of reversing course in negotiations.He claimed FIDE had rejected a near-complete agreement after Freestyle Chess refused to recognise FIDE’s exclusive authority over the “World Champion” title.FIDE responded publicly, acknowledging discussions had taken place but denying any binding agreement. It said it had instead offered a conditional waiver to protect Freestyle players’ eligibility for official events, provided Freestyle dropped the championship label and approved the terms by February 4.Amid the hullabaloo, players worried they could be barred from official FIDE events. World No. 1 and five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen published private messages accusing FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich of reneging on promises.The dispute finally cooled down in February 2025, when Freestyle agreed to drop the “World Championship” label.As later reported by TimesofIndia.com, top-rated Freestyle players, in a private meeting at Weissenhaus, unanimously decided that the 2025 Grand Slam winner would instead be crowned “Freestyle Chess Champion”, a title Carlsen recently claimed in South Africa.Against that backdrop, the new agreement carries the weight of reconciliation.How Freestyle Chess and FIDE buried the hatchetFor Buettner, the deal resolved a problem that had nagged him for months.“Yes, I am very content, especially because it kind of solved an issue that I was thinking about for the last few months,” he told TimesofIndia.com from South Africa during an exclusive conversation.Freestyle Chess, he noted, had just completed what he called a “perfect season” in 2025, with five Grand Slam Tours.“So I was still thinking in October, November, how can I start season two, if I know how season two would end,” he added.“I didn’t want to have a situation where after this great season one, then we have a season two and start like somehow, and then everybody’s comparing.”At the same time, unresolved talks with FIDE were never far from Buettner’s mind. Those negotiations, he said, had once come tantalisingly close to a resolution before collapsing at the last possible moment.“I met Arkady for the first time in October 2024 in London,” Buettner said. “And we spoke, and we actually were very close to a deal in January of last year, so a year ago. Basically similar to now, we had a press release prepared, we had an agreement prepared, and everything was kind of negotiated, maybe even to the last word. And then at the very end, it fell all apart. And I have no idea why.”“We had a great relationship. Obviously, we then went our separate ways, and FIDE did their stuff, and we did our stuff. And I think it’s always good to have a cooling-off period.”The breakthrough came through a new dialogue as Buettner invited Dvorkovich to South Africa ahead of the Grand Slam Tour Final last month. However, due to scheduling conflicts, Dvorkovich couldn’t come.On the sidelines of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, Dvorkovich then invited Buettner to Qatar, where they met roughly two weeks ago.

From left to right: Mohammed Al-Modiahki, President of Qatar Chess Association, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Holly Hock, Jan Buettner and Anya Buettner, daughter of Jan. (Photo by Amruta Mokal/ChessBase India)

It was there, Buettner said, that the decisive idea emerged: “Then Arkady actually came up with the idea to say, why don’t we do the World Championship in 2026? It was actually his idea to have it as a World Championship in Weissenhaus. The initiative to do this came from him. I didn’t even have to do a lot of convincing. It was basically just his suggestion. I also think FIDE has a lot of respect for how we have conducted our tour.”That suggestion resolved several issues at once, with Buettner explaining that the Weissenhaus World Championship will serve as the culmination of the 2025–26 Freestyle Chess cycle.“So I don’t begin season two in Weissenhaus in February,” Buettner continued. “I basically end season one in Weissenhaus with the World Championship. And now we can start season two fresh.”A new Chess World ChampionshipThe inaugural FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship will feature eight players. For 2026, qualification is straightforward: the top six, including Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, and Javokhir Sindarov, from the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, plus two wild cards jointly awarded by FIDE and Freestyle Chess.Freestyle Chess has already nominated Hans Niemann after his outstanding performance at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas.FIDE will decide their pick through an online qualifier.Because the agreement came together quickly, Buettner acknowledged the process was improvised.“We had to do this short-term deal,” he said. “But we agreed that we take the time until the World Championship in the next few weeks to also discuss the long-term plan.”

FIDE Freestyle Chess Championship 2026 Schedule (Photo by FIDE)

The longer-term vision is more structured and closer to FIDE norms.“We want to have a transparent system where all the players see if they want to qualify for the World Championship with Freestyle Chess, how they can do that,” Buettner said.Ideas include automatic qualification for top finishers from the previous championship and spots earned through designated events.The Grand Slam Tour, a centrepiece of Freestyle’s recent success, will pause for the time being. “It will not continue in ’26, and maybe also not in ’27,” Buettner revealed, adding that it could return later once a better system is established. For now, the annual February World Championship is the focus.Why no Hikaru Nakamura?One absence immediately caught fans’ attention: Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning FIDE Fischer Random World Champion (Chess960) from 2022.“Actually, he was invited,” Buettner told this website.World No. 2 Nakamura, however, declined.

Hikaru Nakamura (Photos by Michal Walusza)

According to Buettner, Nakamura’s reasoning was personal.“He would not participate … because he’d rather be remembered as the World Champion in Fischer Random of 2022, rather than competing with seven other players with the unlikelihood that he might get this,” Buettner added.“We had a very good, very polite, very good conversation and total respect and understanding,” he said.Nakamura, he added, wants his Fischer Random reign to “be remembered as finishing up with the World Champion title.”Women’s Freestyle Chess Championship?The agreement also opens a door for women’s freestyle chess, though cautiously.At FIDE’s request, a women’s event will run alongside the men’s championship in 2026. For now, it will be an exhibition match rather than a full championship.“That was also a request from Arkady, from FIDE, to have a women’s tournament at the same time,” Buettner said.ALSO READ: World champion at 7 in her first international event; ‘nervous’ while meeting PM Modi: How Pragnika Lakshmi became a chess prodigyLogistical constraints made a full qualification cycle impractical on short notice.“So we said we’d rather do an exhibition match this year, with a clear road to a women’s world championship in 2027,” he added. “Ideally, the top names would be there.”After years of confrontation, the agreement does not erase the past. But for the first time, Freestyle Chess and FIDE are aligned on a single stage, with a single title.In chess politics, that may be as close as burying the hatchet gets.

Australia’s Steve Smith (AP/PTI)

Steve Smith has cast doubt over his participation in the 2027 Ashes in England, admitting age could be a decisive factor even as excitement builds within an ageing Australian group following a dominant home series win. Australia sealed a comprehensive 4–1 Ashes triumph with a five-wicket victory in the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. The series was capped by Mitchell Starc being named Player of the Series and Travis Head earning Player of the Match honours for a commanding first-innings 163.

Victories in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide gave Australia early control of the contest before England responded with a memorable win in Melbourne. Smith led the side as stand-in captain in the absence of Pat Cummins, who featured only in the Adelaide Test. Smith himself missed that match due to illness but still finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer of the series, compiling 286 runs in four matches at an average of 57.20, including one century and one fifty. When asked about the prospect of touring England in 2027, Smith admitted uncertainty over personal involvement, while stressing the collective ambition within the squad. “I’m sure everyone’s excited to go there and try and win the Ashes,” Smith told Fox Cricket. “It’s something that I certainly haven’t done in my career, and something I’d like to tick off, whether I get there or not, it’s a different question. The squad we’ve had over the last four or five years has been amazing. So hopefully we can keep growing, getting better.” Smith also highlighted Alex Carey’s impact across the series, crediting the wicketkeeper’s work with both bat and gloves for strengthening Australia’s bowling unit, particularly in supporting Starc alongside Scott Boland and Michael Neser. “He was unbelievable with both bat and gloves, I think,” Smith said. “Just the way he was able to go up to the stumps, in particular to the quicks. Those guys are bowling late 130s [kph], almost hitting 140s at times, and he’s just taken them easy. He works incredibly hard on it. And against this opposition, we thought that was a real threat, being able to keep them stuck on their crease and not allow them to dance at our bowlers. And he just did that so well.” Starc led the attack in the absence of Cummins and the injured Josh Hazlewood, finishing with 31 wickets in 10 innings at an average of 19.93, including two five-wicket hauls. The left-arm quick also contributed 156 runs with the bat, registering two half-centuries. Head emerged as the series’ highest run-scorer with more than 600 runs and was central to Australia’s success, a contribution Smith was keen to underline while reflecting on the broader squad effort. “Mitchell Starc was sensational, and then supported by everyone who played,” Smith said. “I think just recognising the key moments and trying to play them in real time, not getting to a situation afterwards and saying we should have done this or that, trusting what you’re trying to do and doing it to the best of your ability out there.” Smith also pointed to sustained consistency as a hallmark of the group. “Particularly in our home conditions, we obviously know them really well,” Smith said. “We’ve got a great squad of players that have been good for a long period of time, the last four or five years, making two Test championship finals, which probably backs that up. We’ve just got really good depth in our squad, and everyone that gets an opportunity takes it. It’s just been great to be a part of.”

England’s Ben Stokes, centre, gestures to teammate Brydon Carse in Sydney. (AP Photo)

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has launched an immediate and “thorough” review of the men’s Ashes tour after England slumped to a demoralising 4–1 defeat against Australia, with chief executive Richard Gould admitting the campaign fell well short of expectations.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In a strongly worded statement released soon after the fifth and final Test, Gould described England’s failure to regain the Ashes as “deeply disappointing”, acknowledging that the tour began with “significant hope and anticipation” but ended in frustration and searching questions.

“While there were moments of strong performance and resilience during the series, including a hard-fought victory in the fourth Test in Melbourne, we were not consistent enough across all conditions and phases of the contest,” Gould said, adding that “Australia ultimately deserved to retain the Ashes.”England avoided a humiliating whitewash with their MCG win, but that lone success did little to mask broader concerns. Preparations, coaching methods and off-field behaviour have all come under scrutiny following a series in which England struggled to adapt to Australian conditions and momentum shifts.

Gould confirmed that a comprehensive review is already under way and will examine every aspect of the campaign. “This will cover tour planning and preparation, individual performance and behaviours, and our ability to adapt and respond effectively as circumstances require,” he said. “We will take many lessons from this tour and are determined to improve quickly. Our focus is on regaining the Ashes in 2027.”“We will implement the necessary changes over the coming months,” Gould added, signalling reform rather than upheaval.England’s next Test assignment is not until June, when they host New Zealand at home. Before that, attention will turn to white-ball cricket, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka looming next month. McCullum is expected to remain in charge for the tournament, with Harry Brook set to captain the side.Gould also thanked Cricket Australia for its hospitality and paid tribute to England’s travelling supporters, saying their loyalty “has been humbling” and promising stronger performances in the future.

Magnus Carlsen’s slams table after losing to Arjun Erigaisi in Doha. (Screengrab)

NEW DELHI: Magnus Carlsen‘s brilliance over the board is unquestioned, but his repeated emotional outbursts are increasingly sparking debate over the image they project — especially to the next generation of chess players. The latest flashpoint came during the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha, where the world No. 1’s visible frustration once again grabbed headlines, raising concerns about sportsmanship and accountability in elite chess.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Carlsen’s anger boiled over after defeats in Doha, most notably against India’s Arjun Erigaisi, when he slammed the board in frustration. It echoed scenes from Norway Chess last year, where he thumped the table following a shock loss to D Gukesh. These were not isolated incidents. During the same event in Doha, Carlsen was involved in four separate controversial moments, including one where he scattered pieces in time trouble, leading to an illegal move and eventual concession after an argument with the arbiter.

While Carlsen went on to silence critics with yet another triumph — his 20th world title and ninth Blitz crown — the manner of his conduct has divided opinion within the chess community.Former Gukesh coach and Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan acknowledged that emotion has a place in the sport but warned of its consequences. “A certain kind of expression of emotion is good for chess. We need those expressions because people generally don’t see what is happening to a chess player’s mind,” he told The Indian Express. “The danger… is that people perceive it to be something cool. And Magnus is very influential… kids look up to him.”

That concern was echoed by Levon Aronian, who criticised the normalisation of such behaviour. “I don’t think we should be normalising tantrums like that,” Aronian wrote on X, noting that loud outbursts can disrupt other players and would attract penalties in many sports.Despite criticism, FIDE has shown little appetite to formally censure Carlsen. The governing body insisted that such moments are part of an “open and engaged” sporting ecosystem and stressed that the growing visibility and commercial success of chess remains its priority.For critics, that stance is precisely the problem. Srinath argued that financial penalties or reprimands would send a clear message. “Leaving it unaddressed… kids get the message that it is a cool thing to do,” he said.

Jason Smith of MI Cape Town drives a delivery down the ground during match 15 of the SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa on the 6th January 2026. (Photo Credit: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for SA20)

Newlands, cloaked in an eerie mist and framed by shimmering floodlights, felt like a scene straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.MI Cape Town’s title defence was in similar suspense. Winless after five matches, their SA20 Season 4 campaign was hanging by a thread. The equation was stark: 39 runs needed off 19 balls. One misstep and it was all over.

Out of the shadows walked Jason Smith, taking centre stage. Tall, muscular, inked forearms visible under the lights, he looked every bit the part. But could he shoulder the pressure of an entire season resting on seven deliveries?Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Yeah, obviously there was a bit of pressure coming into this game. We knew it was a must-win for us,” Smith admitted later.His answer came instantly. Smith dispatched his very first ball, a low full toss, deep into the Newlands night sky.“To be fair, I actually wasn’t expecting that for the first ball,” he said. “Not often you get a full toss and I feel like sometimes a full toss is actually the hardest ball to get away.

“But I’ll definitely take that to get me going and I think it helped me.”Richard Gleeson had been Joburg Super Kings’ hero just nights earlier at the Wanderers, nailing yorkers in a dramatic Super Over. On Tuesday evening, though, Smith had the Englishman firmly in his sights.He had already watched MI Cape Town teammate Nicholas Pooran dismantle Gleeson earlier, the Trinbago superstar launching three colossal sixes in a single over, one of them crashing into the top tier of the Members’ Stand.

Jason Smith of MI Cape Town arrives at the stadium during match 15 of the Betway SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa on the 6th January 2026 (Photo Credit: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for SA20)

“I think Nicky P from the second ball set the tone and it was just unreal to see him striking the ball so cleanly,” Smith said.Buoyed by that confidence, Smith shifted gears. Spotting the slower ball early, he stood tall and launched it onto the Oaks grass banks. Despite steady drizzle, the Newlands faithful sensed something special.The very next ball confirmed it. Smith creamed Gleeson over wide long-on, the ball soaring into the second tier of the Presidents Pavilion. The roar echoed all the way down Campground Road.“Yeah, I think it’s really important that they actually stayed,” Smith said. “We were quite surprised when we pulled up to the stadium and people were still coming despite the rain.

I’m the type of person who’s just trying to enjoy my cricket at the moment. Noise will be noise and it’s what anyone makes of it

Jason Smith | MI Cape Town

“We always appreciate and are grateful for the support. The Newlands faithful are always kind to us and we’re glad we could entertain them tonight.”Smith’s blitz ended the next ball, caught on the boundary while attempting another mighty heave. But his 22 off just seven balls had done the damage.Karim Janat and Corbin Bosch completed the chase with four balls to spare, keeping MI Cape Town’s campaign alive. More than that, Smith’s cameo offered a glimpse of exactly why Proteas coach Shukri Conrad backed the former Wynberg Boys’ High School prodigy with a spot at next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Jason Smith of MICT during match 15 of the Betway SA20 season 4 between MI Cape Town (MICT) and The Joburg Super Kings (JSK) held at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa on the 6th January 2026. (Photo Credit: Carl Fourie for SA20)

“I think I was under a bit of pressure and that’s only natural,” Smith said. “I’m the type of person who’s just trying to enjoy my cricket at the moment. Noise will be noise and it’s what anyone makes of it.“I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball quite sweetly. Long may it continue. I don’t think I’m going to change anything. If it works, it works.”Smith also received a ringing endorsement from Nicholas Pooran.

Poll

Do you think Jason Smith has the potential to become a star player in T20 cricket?

“For him, the most important thing is to learn as fast as possible,” the West Indies T20 great said.“He’s just been selected for the World Cup and he’s heading into India, where conditions are really favourable for him with a lot of spin.“He has everything to do well in those conditions. There’s a lot of talent there and we’re really happy to see him smashing it for us. Our job is to give him the freedom to express himself without pressure.”