Mumbai Indians Cricket Team vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bowl against Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the Women’s Premier League 2026 at the DY Patil Sports Academy on Friday, January 9 2026.
RCB captain Smriti Mandhana said dew was a key factor behind the decision. “We’re going to bowl first. 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. We’re going in with six Indian players. Our four overseas players are Grace Harris, Nadine de Klerk, Lauren Bell, and Linsey Smith,” she said after winning the toss.
Harmanpreet Kaur said her side was also keen to bowl first due to the expected dew later in the evening. “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” she said.
Mumbai Indians Women vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women 1st Match Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians Women: Nat Sciver-Brunt, G Kamalini (wk), Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajeevan Sajana, Saika Ishaque.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: Smriti Mandhana (c), Grace Harris, Dayalan Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Prema Rawat, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.