The Women’s Premier League (WPL) season 4 is all set to kick off on January 9, 2026, in Navi Mumbai. In the season opener at the DY Patil Stadium, defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). On November 2, 2025, DY Patil witnessed India’s historic ODI World Cup triumph, and now, at the same venue, the new WPL season will begin.
Adding more excitement, the Indian Women’s ODI World Cup-winning captain, Harmanpreet Kaur’s MI, will face vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana’s RCB, making the opener even more special.
MI are the most successful team in the competition, having won the title twice in three seasons. RCB are the only other team to have lifted the trophy, winning it in 2024. However, Mandhana’s side had a forgettable last season, failing to qualify for the playoffs. Hence, they will be eager for a stronger campaign this time, and a win over MI in the season opener would be the perfect start.
Head-to-Head in WPL
Overall: 7 matches – MI 4, RCB 3
At DY Patil Stadium: 1 match – MI 1, RCB 0
RCB record at DY Patil: 3 matches – Won 1, Lost 2
MI record at DY Patil: 6 matches – Won 4, Lost 2
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Players to watch out for
MI – Amelia Kerr
New Zealand leg-spinning all-rounder Amelia Kerr will once again be a key player for MI. She has been part of the franchise since the inaugural season. However, over the last year, she has struggled for consistency with the bat, especially in the shortest format.
This WPL could be the perfect platform for Kerr to score crucial runs along with picking up wickets, which would help her gain confidence ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the White Ferns in England. Last season, Kerr opened the batting in three matches. Whether she bats at the top or in the middle order this time remains to be seen, but her role will be vital for MI’s balance.
RCB – Richa Ghosh
Richa Ghosh is one of the key players retained by RCB, and rightly so. She is a proven finisher with the bat. However, her wicketkeeping has come under scrutiny since the ODI World Cup last year. With the T20 World Cup in England just a few months away, the India team management will hope to see improvement in her glovework, and the WPL could be the ideal stage for that.
This season, Richa also faces competition from Australia’s Grace Harris and South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk in the finisher’s role. While that could add pressure, it might also help her thrive alongside quality players and deliver strong finishes for RCB based on match situations.
Probable Playing XIs
MI
Hayley Matthews, G Kamalini (WK), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Sajana Sajeevan, Sanskriti Gupta, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque
RCB
Smriti Mandhana (C), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (WK), Grace Harris, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Lauren Bell
Also Read: WPL 2026: Shreyanka Patil reveals valuable death-bowling tips from Jasprit Bumrah ahead of MI clash
