The 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) marks a decisive shift in how women’s cricket is perceived, valued, and monetised in India.
No longer positioned as an experimental or CSR-driven property, the league has entered a phase of commercial consolidation, with sponsorship spending estimated to have crossed ₹130 crore more than three times the value recorded during its inaugural season in 2023. At the centre of this evolution stands Amul, whose multi-team partnerships in WPL 2026 reflect a calculated, long-term strategy rather than a conventional branding exercise.
Amul, operated by the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), has expanded its footprint by partnering with the Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz, while simultaneously positioning its performance-focused sub-brand, Amul Protein, with select franchises. This dual-layered approach aligns with the league’s growing demographic reach and mirrors Amul’s broader ambition of reinforcing domestic dominance while enhancing global visibility.
WPL 2026: From Experiment to Commercial Asset
The economic context of WPL 2026 is central to understanding Amul’s decision-making. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India successfully stabilising league operations, advertisers are now committing to multi-year associations. The season attracted significant new commercial agreements extending into 2027, reflecting confidence in women’s cricket as a high-engagement product.
For a brand like Amul whose turnover exceeds ₹80,000 crore and whose products reach more than 50 countries the WPL offers a powerful domestic anchor. The January–February window aligns with peak consumption cycles for dairy beverages and ice creams, allowing Amul to convert broadcast visibility into tangible consumer recall at a critical time of the year.
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Amul’s WPL strategy in 2026 rests on three interlinked pillars: regional fortification, product segmentation, and global projection.
By partnering with Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz, Amul effectively secures visibility across North India, a region that represents both a high-consumption market and a key sourcing base. Delhi NCR offers access to urban, premium consumers, while Uttar Pradesh India’s largest milk-producing state provides a direct connection to Amul’s cooperative roots.
Product segmentation is equally deliberate. The deployment of Amul Protein alongside the master brand allows GCMMF to address distinct consumer needs within the same sporting ecosystem. While Amul Protein targets urban, fitness-conscious youth by associating with elite athletic performance, the core Amul brand continues to speak to family nutrition and trust—particularly in heartland markets such as Uttar Pradesh.
Finally, the WPL’s growing international viewership supports Amul’s export ambitions. With global players featuring prominently and broadcasts reaching overseas markets, the league becomes a vehicle to reinforce Amul’s positioning as a global nutrition brand.
Delhi Capitals: Performance, Redemption, and Visibility
The partnership with Delhi Capitals places Amul within one of the league’s most compelling narratives. Entering the 2026 season as three-time losing finalists, DC embodied themes of redemption and hunger attributes that align naturally with sports marketing storytelling.
The transition to an Indian captaincy under Jemimah Rodrigues further enhanced the franchise’s appeal for domestic sponsors. Rodrigues’ cultural relatability, combined with the presence of high-impact players such as Shafali Verma and Laura Wolvaardt, ensured sustained broadcast focus. For Amul Protein in particular, association with power-hitters and last-over thrillers translated into repeated high-visibility moments, amplifying brand recall well beyond live viewership.
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While Delhi Capitals offered metropolitan reach, the UP Warriorz partnership anchored Amul firmly in India’s heartland. The franchise’s identity rooted in regional culture and community narratives aligned seamlessly with Amul’s long-standing “Taste of India” positioning.
The acquisition of Meg Lanning added global stature, but it was the presence of players like Deepti Sharma that strengthened local resonance. Initiatives such as culturally inspired jerseys and social-impact campaigns enhanced emotional engagement, allowing Amul to reinforce its cooperative ethos and commitment to empowerment, particularly of women.
The Portfolio Advantage and Competitive Landscape
One of the most significant advantages of Amul’s approach lies in diversification. By aligning with multiple franchises across regions—and separating brand roles between Amul and Amul Protein the cooperative mitigates performance risk. If one team struggles, another remains competitive, ensuring continuous association with success.
This strategy also plays into a broader competitive dynamic within the Indian dairy sector. With rivals pursuing narrower, region-specific sponsorships, Amul’s multi-team presence creates a portfolio effect that delivers consistent share of voice across broadcasts and digital platforms.
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Perhaps the most important evolution is Amul’s shift from transactional league-level partnerships to emotionally integrated team alliances. Jersey presence, player associations, and in-stadium activation embed the brand into the fan experience. The emotional transfer that occurs when fans celebrate team victories while seeing Amul prominently displayed represents the highest value outcome in sports marketing.
As WPL valuations continue to rise, early movers like Amul stand to benefit disproportionately. The 2026 season suggests that women’s cricket in India has crossed a threshold from promise to permanence. Amul’s strategy reflects a deep understanding of this shift, positioning the brand not merely as a sponsor, but as an intrinsic part of the league’s growth story.
In aligning itself with both elite performance and grassroots identity, Amul has ensured that as women’s cricket expands its commercial and cultural footprint, the cooperative remains woven into the narrative locally rooted, nationally dominant, and increasingly global in ambition.
