MI W vs RCB W: Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Mumbai Indians by 3 wickets in the WPL 2026 opener on Friday, January 9. Chasing a target of 155, RCB finished on 157 for 7 in 20 overs to seal a dramatic win.
Mumbai Indians scored 154 for 6 in their 20 overs. G. Kamalini gave MI a steady start and scored 32 off 28 balls. Harmanpreet Kaur added 20 runs before getting out. The key innings came from Sajana, who played aggressively and scored 45 off 25 balls, hitting multiple boundaries in the middle and death overs. Carey also contributed with 40 off 29 balls.
In the chase, RCB started positively with Smriti Mandhana and Harris. Mandhana scored 18 off 13 balls before falling to Ismail, while Harris made a quick 25 off 12 before getting out to Sciver-Brunt. RCB then lost wickets quickly as Kerr removed Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh, while Amanjot dismissed Hemalatha. At one stage, RCB were struggling at 65 for 5 and later 82 for 5, with pressure firmly on them.
The match turned in the final overs due to an outstanding knock by De Klerk. She anchored the innings and kept RCB in the game despite regular wickets. De Klerk reached her fifty in the final over and produced a stunning finish. RCB needed 18 runs from the last over bowled by Sciver-Brunt. De Klerk hit multiple sixes and fours, including the winning boundary to long off on the final delivery, to take RCB home.
RCB ended the match at 157 for 7, winning by 3 wickets. De Klerk was the match-winner with the bat and also made key contributions with the ball earlier. The win gave Royal Challengers Bengaluru a perfect start to their WPL 2026 campaign.
Nadine de Klerk’s Four-Wicket Haul Restricts Mumbai Indians to 154 in WPL 2026 Opener
Nadine de Klerk played a key role for Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women in the opening match of WPL 2026 against Mumbai Indians Women at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. Mumbai finished on 154 for 6 in 20 overs, and de Klerk’s spell was the main reason RCB was able to keep the total under control.
De Klerk was brought into the attack just after the powerplay. She made an immediate impact by dismissing Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was stumped while trying to drive. In the 11th over, she struck again by removing Mumbai captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who edged the ball outside off stump. She picked up two big wickets, dismissing Sajana and then Nicola Carey in the final over.
She finished with figures of 4 wickets for 26 runs in her four overs. This was Nadine de Klerk’s maiden four-wicket haul in the Women’s Premier League and only her second WPL match overall. She now has six wickets in the league at an average of 10.26.
With this performance, de Klerk became the fourth RCB Women bowler to take four or more wickets in a WPL match, joining Ellyse Perry, Asha Shobhana, and Shreyanka Patil. She also became only the second RCB Women bowler to take a four-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians, after Ellyse Perry.
Amelia Kerr Becomes Highest Wicket-Taker in WPL History During MI W vs RCB W match
Melie Kerr created a major record in the Women’s Premier League during the WPL 2026 season opener between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on January 9. Playing for the Mumbai Indians, Kerr became the highest wicket-taker in WPL history. She went past her teammate Hayley Matthews to reach 42 wickets in the tournament. Kerr reached this milestone in just 30 innings and now leads the WPL wicket charts with an average of 17.21.
During the second innings, with Mumbai Indians defending a target of 155, Kerr stepped up in the middle overs. She bowled tightly and picked up crucial wickets. She dismissed Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav in her first two overs, slowing down RCB’s chase. She nearly picked up another wicket in her third over as well, but an LBW decision against Arundhati Reddy was overturned.
With this performance, Melie Kerr not only helped the Mumbai Indians in a pressure match but also scripted history by becoming the first bowler in WPL history to take 42 wickets, making her the most successful wicket-taker the league has seen so far.
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