In the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season opener on January 9 at DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat the reigning champions, the Mumbai Indians (MI), by 3 wickets, thus giving a push to the speculation of yet another title run. Nadine de Klerk, with her remarkable all-round performance consisting of 4 wickets and a not-out 63 runs, played a major role in the match and hence, the MI’s powerful batting order was quietened.
Match Highlights
The MI captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, won the toss and opted for batting first after the opening ceremony, which featured Bollywood stars like Honey Singh and was thus delayed to 7:40 PM IST. MI had a hard time in the beginning, facing the pace attack of RCB headed by Lauren Bell; they lost important batsmen, including Harmanpreet (20 off 17), to de Klerk and were bowled out for a low score of around 140.
RCB chased down the target with composure, with Smriti Mandhana anchoring the innings while there were fireworks from Georgia Voll, Grace Harris, and Richa Ghosh, even in the absence of Ellyse Perry, who was replaced by Sayali Sathgare. It was De Klerk’s late hitting that clinched the win; her spin was creating problems for MI’s middle order, while Shabnim Ismail’s rapid pace could not take the wicket.
Key Performances
-
Nadine de Klerk (RCB): Player of the Match for 4/?? and 63*, mixing seam and power.
-
Shreyanka Patil (RCB): Great return post-injury, taking important wickets.
-
MI’s Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt went wicketless; Amelia Kerr went for one run in the first over.
Implications for the Title
RCB, the WPL 2024 champions and last season’s losers, are signalling a comeback without Perry, having a strong squad consisting of Voll, Harris and spinners like Radha Yadav. MI’s paper strength, retained core, plus Kerr, Illingworth, crumbled; the pressure on Harmanpreet before the January 10 match with the Delhi Capitals is already unbearable. Fans’ chants of “RCB finally wins!” not only refer to their maiden triumph but also hint at their strong positioning as early favourites in the Navi Mumbai-Vadodara caravans.
Shubhi is a seasoned content writer with 6 years of experience in digital media. Specializing in news, lifestyle, health, sports, space, optical illusions, and trending topics, she crafts engaging, SEO-friendly content that informs and captivates readers. Passionate about storytelling, Shubhi blends accuracy with creativity to deliver impactful articles across diverse domains.
