Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have won the toss and elected to bowl first against defending champions Mumbai Inddigihunt (MI) in the opening match of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the electrifying DY Patil Stadium.
This edition of the WPL marks the first time it is being held in the January-February window. After winning the toss, skipper Smriti Mandhana mentioned that their overseas players include Grace Harris, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, and Nadine de Klerk.
“Dew plays a huge role at this venue, especially in the second half, and it’s a ground where conditions can change quickly. We want to bowl tight lines early and restrict the opposition. It’s been amazing. The girls have gelled really well. It’s a young group, the overseas players have settled in nicely, and it’s been a fun environment. Everyone’s worked extremely hard, and we’re really excited to get started,” she said.
MI, the two-time winners, will be without all-rounder Hayley Matthews due to illness, leading to a brand new opening combination with Nat Sciver-Brunt and G. Kamalini for starting their title defense.
“We were also looking to bowl first, considering the dew later on. But it’s the first game of the season, so we’ll see how things go. It’s been really good. We’ve been practicing for the last 10 days, and everyone looks in good touch. We’ve got a well-balanced side, pretty similar to what we’ve had over the last three seasons, so we’re confident heading into the game,” said captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
Playing XIs:
Mumbai Inddigihunt: Nat Sciver-Brunt, G Kamalini (wk), Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajeevan Sajana, and Saika Ishaque.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (c), Grace Harris, Dayalan Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Prema Rawat, Linsey Smith, and Lauren Bell.