Thrilling Finale: RCB Clinches Victory Over MI in Nail-Biting WPL 2026 Showdown

Welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 opener between the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Friday.

HIGHLIGHTS

TEAM LINE-UPS

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Grace Harris, D. Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Prema Rawat, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), G Kamalini, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti, S Sajana, Saika Ishaque

TOSS UPDATE

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and opted to bowl first against Mumbai Indians.

“We aim to bowl tight lines and restrict them since it’s a high-scoring pitch,” stated RCB captain Smriti Mandhana.

MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur added, “We are aware of the dew factor later, so we also wanted to field initially. Nicola Carey is making her debut tonight as Hayley [Matthews] is unwell.”

PITCH REPORT

A high-scoring game is anticipated, with some swing available due to grass on the pitch. The average first innings score here since 2024 is approximately 165.

Reporter Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan is at the DY Patil Stadium to deliver live updates before the match kicks off:

MATCH PREVIEW

Just over two months after India secured its first ICC women’s title at the 50-over World Cup at this venue, the DY Patil Stadium is set to host the start of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL).

The anticipation is building for the upcoming T20 World Cup, where an Indian team eager for redemption after faltering in the 2020 finals will look to assert itself.

As Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru launch the fourth edition of the tournament, Indian selectors will be watching keenly to see if any players on the periphery make a strong case for selection to the national squad.

Read Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan’s full preview | Players on the fringes take center stage at Women’s T20 World Cup auditions

LIVE STREAMING INFORMATION

What time does the Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru WPL 2026 match start?

The match will commence at 7:30 PM IST on Friday, January 9, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, with the toss happening at 7 PM IST.

Where can you watch the Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru WPL 2026 match live?

The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports network and live-streamed on the JioHotstar platform.

SQUADS

Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajana Sajeevan, Rahila Firdous, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Richa Ghosh, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, D. Hemalatha

Published on January 9, 2026