Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have secured their place directly in the final of the WPL 2026. However, the two teams that will contest the eliminator are yet to be confirmed. To gain more clarity on that front, a massive clash awaits as Gujarat Giants (GG) take on Mumbai Indians (MI) on January 30 in Vadodara.
A win for GG will guarantee a place in the eliminator, while a win for MI will almost qualify them due to their superior net run rate (NRR) compared to others. However, a loss for either team will complicate the qualification scenario. In that case, the result of the remaining Delhi Capitals (DC) vs UP Warriorz (UPW) clash will become crucial, with NRR playing a decisive role.
MI come into this match after a 15-run win over RCB, while GG are riding on momentum after winning their last two games on the trot. In the reverse fixture in Navi Mumbai earlier this season, the defending champions, MI, defeated GG by seven wickets.
Standings
Gujarat Giants: 2nd position, 7 matches – 4 wins, 3 losses, 8 points, NRR -0.271
Mumbai Indians: 3rd position, 7 matches – 3 wins, 4 losses, 6 points, NRR +0.146
Qualification scenario
Gujarat Giants (GG)
- A win will take them to 10 points and confirm their place in the eliminator.
- A loss will mean both MI and GG finish with eight points. In that case, due to a superior NRR, MI will qualify in the second spot. Then, attention will shift to the DC vs UPW clash on February 1. If DC win that match, they too will end up on eight points, and once again, NRR will decide the final standings. Hence, even if GG lose today, keeping the margin of defeat small will be crucial.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
- A win will take MI to eight points. That will result in MI and GG being level on points, but MI will qualify second due to a better NRR.
- A loss will see GG qualify directly with 10 points, while MI will remain on six points. In that scenario, MI will need UPW to defeat DC on February 1. Only then will MI, DC, and UPW all finish on six points, with NRR becoming the deciding factor.
Head-to-head record in the WPL
Overall: 8 matches – GG 0, MI 8
At Kotambi Stadium: 1 match – GG 0, MI 1
GG record at Kotambi Stadium: 6 matches – Won 3, Lost 3
MI record at Kotambi Stadium: 4 matches – Won 2, Lost 2
What happened in the first meeting of this edition?
In Navi Mumbai, MI successfully chased down 193, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 71 off 43 balls. GG batted first, with Beth Mooney (33), Kanika Ahuja (35), and captain Ashleigh Gardner (20) contributing. At one stage, GG were 99/4. Ayushi Soni and Georgia Wareham then added 37 runs before Soni was retired out on 11 off 14. Bharti Fulmali was sent in and the move paid off, as she smashed an unbeaten 36 off 15, while Wareham remained not out on 43 off 33. Their unbeaten 56-run stand took GG to 192/5. Shabnim Ismail was the standout with the ball for MI, conceding runs at an economy of 6.25.
In reply, MI lost both openers early. The promotion of Amanjot Kaur at number three worked well as she added 72 runs with Harmanpreet. After Amanjot’s 40 off 26, Harmanpreet and Nicola Carey stitched an unbeaten 84-run partnership to seal the chase. Carey finished on 38*, while Harmanpreet was named Player of the Match.
Players to watch out for
GG – Tanuja Kanwar
Tanuja Kanwar played a key role in GG’s narrow three-run win over DC in the last game. Batting at number nine, she scored a quick 21 off 11 balls to push the total beyond 170. With the ball, she went wicketless but conceded just 26 runs in four overs. Alongside Rajeshwari Gayakwad, the duo bowled tight lines for eight overs, picking up three wickets in total. Historically against MI, Tanuja has done well, taking seven wickets in eight innings, the most by a GG bowler against MI.
MI – Nat Sciver-Brunt
Nat Sciver-Brunt smashed the first-ever WPL century in MI’s previous game against RCB. MI’s success over the years has largely depended on her all-round performances. This season, she has scored 319 runs in six innings, averaging 79.75 at a strike-rate of 154.85, including three fifties and a century. However, with the ball, she has struggled, taking seven wickets at an economy of 9.59. In a must-win clash like this, all eyes will be on the England skipper once again.
Probable Playing XIs
GG
Beth Mooney (WK), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Georgia Wareham, Kanika Ahuja, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Renuka Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
MI
S Sajana, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Poonam Khemnar, Rahila Firdous (WK), Shabnim Ismail, Vaishnavi Sharma.
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