WPL Finalists & India-Pak Boycott Row

The Gujarat Giants (GG) finished second with a total of 10 points, while the Delhi Capitals (DC) finished third with a total of 8 points, both of whom qualified for the Eliminator; however, the Mumbai Indians, the defending champions, were unable to advance beyond the group stage due to their NRR.

The RCB were led by Smriti Mandhana, who has amassed more than 400 runs this season, and Sophie Devine’s fifteen wickets to propel the RCB to six wins in the league. The WPL 2026 Finals to be played at Arun Jaitley Stadium on March 1 and viewership for the competition this past season exceeded 500 million, contributing to the 20% increase in valuation to ₹4,669 crores.

Separately, Pakistan’s PCB declared that they will boycott the February 15 clash against India at the Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo while still participating in the event. As a result, the geopolitical tensions are causing huge impacts on the ₹1,000 crore broadcast agreements currently in place.  

WPL Playoff Picture: RCB Eyes History

RCB's dominant run in the Women’s Premier League (winning 6 of 8 matches, highest NRR) clinches them the final berth - second consecutive year after 2024 champions. Remarkable individual performances from Mandhana and Devine have overwhelmed all opposition teams.

The Eliminator match (February 28, at Delhi) will be played between GG's Beth Mooney (350 runs, strike rate of 145) and the spin combination of Alice Capsey (DC) and Radhika Yadav (DC). The Giants will need to deliver an explosive bat and put runs on the board, while the Capitals will rely on their exceptional bowling depth. The winner of this match will compete against RCB in the playoff round whereas the loser will end their season here.

Key numbers from the playoffs:

• RCB=6 wins, NRR of +1.247, undefeated at home
• GG=5 wins, 4 half-centuries by Beth Mooney
• DC=4 wins, best economy rate at 7.2

Additionally, Women’s Premier League revenues are expected to be up approximately 25% due to digital licensing rights; valuations of women's cricket have increased dramatically since 2023.

Pakistan's T20 WC Boycott: PCB Draws Line

Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman, PCB confirmed the PCB's boycott of the T20 World Cup Group A match where India will play Pakistan in Colombo on 15 February 2023 because as he stated, the "double standards" in regards to the Bangladesh cricket team not being allowed to play in India but Pakistan not receiving similar treatment have "contributed to the PCB's decision" to boycott this match and participate in a different tournament elsewhere.

The ICC has warned that the PCB's breach of the contract undermines the "spirit of cricket" but no formal actions have been taken since then. The ICC pointed out that there are similar precedents where by way of example, the 2023 Asia Cup had a hybrid model in which Pakistan was allowed to host matches at neutral venues. According to sources in the BCCI, they believe that the PCB's actions are "an unreasonable escalation".

Business Bloodbath: ₹1,000 Crore at Stake

Between 0.5 billion and 1 billion individuals have viewed the India-Pakistan matches, generating an estimated average of ₹1,000 crores in advertising revenue between 2015-2020. Effects from boycotts:

• Disney Star and Sony are re-negotiating the value of their respective World Cup rights down by approximately 30%.
• The uncertainty surrounding the marquee fixtures is causing a 25% decline in betting volumes.
• PepsiCo and Vivo are re-evaluating their respective marquee sponsorship deals.

Although the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is insulated against this uncertainty, WPL is monitoring when to schedule games. Women’s leagues are evidencing that there are revenue sources independent of geopolitical factors.

Fan Fury and Market Signals

The social media world is buzzing with #BoycottIndia trending globally with over 2.5 million Tweets in the first 24 hours as Indian fans demand penalties against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and forfeited matches.

Sri Lanka's choice to hold matches at neutral sites is good for the subcontinent as it will retain the 800M+ active viewership for the subcontinent, but it takes away from the spectacle of crammed stadiums as there won't be sold out stadiums of 90,000+ like previous Indo-Pak matches.

Immediate stock market impacts were felt with Dream 11 stock down 3.2%, from ₹85 to 82.3 and My11Circle parent company Games24x7 stock down 2.8%. The absence of this marquee match-up will represent a 35% hole in revenue for fantasy sports companies (the last WC cycle created approximately 500 crore in peak contest revenues) while betting exchanges (i.e. Betway) have slashed the volume on Indo-Pak betting by 40% and created arbitrage on neutral site matches.

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has remained unaffected as the RCB-DC final is expected to have 100 million digital viewers via JioCinema, a 25% increase from 2025. Women's cricket appears insulated from the vagaries of geopolitics as stadiums will be filled for all matches.

Outlook

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has successfully weathered the storm of political tension while still being played in packed stadiums and establishing a strong digital following.

In addition, attempts are being made to increase the revenues by diversifying the cricket business beyond the India-Pakistan series, especially after Women’s Premier League (WPL)has emerged as a high-growth revenue from the cricket.