MI vs RCB, WPL Highlights: Mumbai Indians win by 15 runs
THE TIMES OF INDIA | Jan 26, 2026, 23:30:35 IST
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MI vs RCB, WPL Highlights: Mumbai Indians win by 15 runs

MI vs RCB, WPL Live Score: Table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru will aim to return to winning ways when they face a struggling Mumbai Indians in a Women’s Premier League clash here on Monday.

RCB’s perfect start to the season ended on Saturday with a loss to Delhi Capitals, a timely reminder of how quickly fortunes can change as the league enters its business end. Despite that setback, Bengaluru remain comfortably placed at the top of the table, having displayed all-round consistency through the tournament, and will be eager to move past the defeat with the playoffs approaching.

Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, are desperate for a turnaround. The defending champions are on a three-match losing streak, a slump that has stalled their campaign and placed their playoff hopes under strain. A victory over the league leaders would not only halt the slide but also provide a crucial confidence lift for a side still searching for momentum.

Inconsistency, especially in crunch moments, has hurt MI, while RCB will be keen to address the shortcomings exposed in their previous game. With contrasting objectives — one side looking to reassert dominance and the other fighting to revive their season — Monday’s contest promises to be a closely fought encounter.

The Vadodara pitch has offered assistance to bowlers in recent matches, placing a premium on discipline and smart shot selection. With the league phase reaching a decisive stage, this fixture could play an important role in shaping the final standings.

For RCB, skipper Smriti Mandhana has set the tone with steady runs at the top, while Nadine de Klerk has provided valuable contributions with both bat and ball. However, the middle order will need to step up, with Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav expected to turn promising starts into match-winning efforts after a batting wobble in the last outing.

Mumbai have leaned heavily on Nat Sciver-Brunt, their standout performer across disciplines, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur adding a few impactful cameos. Amelia Kerr has also delivered timely breakthroughs to keep MI in the contest despite recent losses.

That said, MI will be seeking stronger returns from their unsettled top order, while their bowling — particularly at the death — will be under scrutiny following struggles to defend or contain totals during the losing run.

Both teams will hope their key players rise to the occasion as the tournament heads into its crucial phase.

In their previous meeting this season, RCB edged MI by three wickets in the opening match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

The Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (c), Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, D. Hemalatha, Sayali Satghare.

Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajana Sajeevan, Rahila Firdous, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth.

19:31 (IST) Jan 26
0
Overs0.2
Score4 - 0

Lauren Bell to Hayley Matthews, BEATEN! Nice comeback by Bell. Swings one away from the right-hander, full in length, outside off. Matthews is tempted to play the cover drive, but does not quite get to the pitch of the ball and misses to connect. 

19:30 (IST) Jan 26
4
Overs0.1
Score4 - 0

Lauren Bell to Hayley Matthews, FOUR! Top start! On a back of a length, on middle and leg. Matthews hangs back, waits on it and pulls it to deep square leg for a boundary. 

19:28 (IST) Jan 26

All in readiness for Match 16 to get underway. The two umpires make their way out to the center. Now, Smriti Mandhana leads her troops out as the Royal Challengers spread out to the field and take their positions. Hayley Matthews and Sajana Sajeevan are the two openers for the Mumbai Indians. Lauren Bell has the new ball and is raring to go. Hayley to take the strike. The countdown is down and here we go!

19:26 (IST) Jan 26

We are just a few moments away from the first ball, but before that, both teams have lined up for the Indian national anthem on the occasion of the Republic Day of India. 

19:16 (IST) Jan 26

RCB's Lauren Bell is up for a chat - She says that she stays positive and she performs best when she is smiling rather than getting angry. She prefers trusting her experience against familiar batters over relying on analytics, planning to stick to her strengths and target the stumps on this specific pitch. Bell also reflects on the challenge of modifying her bowling action while competing at the highest level, explaining that while she intends to bring back her inswinger during a future training block, her current focus remains on perfecting the consistency of her outswinger.

19:10 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: Mumbai Indians Women (Playing XI)
Sajeevan Sajana, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amelia Kerr, Rahila Firdous(w), Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Vaishnavi Sharma, Shabnim Ismail, Poonam Khemnar
19:08 (IST) Jan 26

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Unchanged Playing XI) - Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana(C), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh(WK), Radha Yadav, Nadine De Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, and Lauren Bell.

19:07 (IST) Jan 26

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI) - Sajana Sajeevan, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr (In for Nicola Carey), Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Rahila Firdous (WK), Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, and Vaishnavi Sharma.

19:07 (IST) Jan 26

The captain of Mumbai Indians - Harmanpreet Kaur says that, considering the conditions and how the previous games have unfolded, the team would have preferred to bowl first, but adds that they are ready to adapt to whatever comes their way. She stresses that it is an important match for the side. She mentions that the team has spent quality time together, held productive meetings, and put in solid training sessions. Kaur hopes that everything discussed and worked on over the past couple of days translates into strong execution on the field. Confirming a change in the lineup, she says Amelia Kerr comes back into the side, while Nicola Carey misses out due to injury.

19:06 (IST) Jan 26

The captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Smriti Mandhana says that they will bowl first as dew is a factor, and batting second would be good as they are a batting side. Adds that they have taken learnings from the last game and they have done well for the opening games. Adds that there was a bump in the last game but they will look to rectify those. Says that they will access a couple of overs and see how it goes. Ends by saying that they are going with the same side.

19:06 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (Playing XI)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (Playing XI)

Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana(c), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh(w), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell
19:05 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: TOSS!
RCB captain Smriti Mandhana wins toss, opts to field vs Mumbai Indians
18:42 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: 'I think sometimes maybe I get a bit angry' - Bell
I think sometimes maybe I get a bit angry. But even the other day, my coach called me and was like, “You’re at your best when you’re smiling,” and I maybe lost my smile in the last game. I’m at my best when I'm smiling. I think obviously it’s very different. It might be a different opening partnership tonight, and it’s a different pitch.

So there’s a lot to assess and probably a lot of differences from the first game. I guess I can take confidence from the whole tournament really, with how I’ve been going. Hopefully we’ll put on a good performance tonight. I’m not massive on the whole analytics and stuff. I obviously know these players, I’ve bowled at Hayley lots, Harman lots, Nat lots. I’m big on backing my own strengths and what I do well, and hopefully that’s good enough. On this pitch, you’ve just got to hit the stumps and try to be as straight as possible.

That’s a common theme for the batters as well. I’m not massive on that stuff, but I know their strengths. It was hard. Obviously at the time I was playing international cricket, so I was on the biggest stage while going through quite a big change. It was really tough, but I had some of the best coaches around me and I’ve still got great support. Technically, I think we’re there, but I’m still grooving it. I still want more consistency and there are still things to add. I haven’t bowled an inswinger in about two years now, so hopefully at some point that will come back.

There’s still so much to work on, and I love training, so hopefully I’ll just keep getting better. I want my best ball to be as consistent as possible first, that’s the outswinger. The inswinger is just another thing to add to the armoury when I feel ready and in the right place to push that on. There are so many parts of bowling, which is why it’s so exciting. There are always different things to learn. When I have time and a proper training period, maybe I’ll get back to it.

Lauren Bell, RCB player
18:41 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: PITCH REPORT
There’s been a lot of chat about the soil and pitch being used here. Pleased to say it’s a reasonably even surface, but slightly shorter on one side, which the skippers will keep in mind. But let’s get right into this pitch. First and foremost, we’ve been talking a lot about the black soil. Now, in Australia we have a lot of black soil, but we get a lot of bounce.

Here in India, it’s slightly different. When we say black soil, it basically means the content underneath the grass, the turf on the top - has a very high clay content, and that’s supposed to hold moisture. You can see it in there. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s exactly the same on a good length, but you can understand why it’s causing a few issues for some bowlers and some batters as well.

It’s really intriguing when we look at the surface. This is the same surface that was used in the last game. There was a lot more grass on it then and now they’ve trimmed it back. It looks a lot more even than we might have expected. There’s still green grass on it. They mentioned the grass was a bit straw-like, which is why we saw that up-and-down bounce earlier. And as a batter, you’ll know this, it requires so much discipline out here. When you look at the success of the batters so far, there’s been a really clear focus on hitting straight down the ground.

When the ball doesn’t bounce as much, and with this black clay surface offering low bounce, you’ve got to hit straight. A lot of batters have struggled, or gotten out, playing across the line. And as a captain, that’s exactly what you want, to force batters to play across the line. It hasn’t been easy because of the clay and the low bounce. As a skipper, field placement is going to be crucial. You’ve got to keep mid-wicket in for as long as you can.

Knowing this is a must-win game for Mumbai, how do you manipulate those straight fielders and say - “Go square at your own risk”. Wicketkeepers might just try to keep batters in the crease, because batters could use a bit of movement to negate that mid-wicket option as well. There’s so much going on out in the middle for this match. It’s up to the captains, the bowlers, and the batters to figure out what the right total is.

- Mel Jones, Katey Martin
17:53 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: SQUADS
The Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (c), Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, D. Hemalatha, Sayali Satghare.

Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajana Sajeevan, Rahila Firdous, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth.


17:53 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: Previous meeting
In their previous meeting this season, RCB edged MI by three wickets in the opening match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
17:52 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: MI batting
Mumbai have leaned heavily on Nat Sciver-Brunt, their standout performer across disciplines, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur adding a few impactful cameos.

Amelia Kerr has also delivered timely breakthroughs to keep MI in the contest despite recent losses.

That said, MI will be seeking stronger returns from their unsettled top order, while their bowling — particularly at the death — will be under scrutiny following struggles to defend or contain totals during the losing run.

Both teams will hope their key players rise to the occasion as the tournament heads into its crucial phase.
17:52 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: Middle order need to step up for RCB
For RCB, skipper Smriti Mandhana has set the tone with steady runs at the top, while Nadine de Klerk has provided valuable contributions with both bat and ball.

However, the middle order will need to step up, with Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav expected to turn promising starts into match-winning efforts after a batting wobble in the last outing.
17:52 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: Inconsistency has hurt Mumbai Indians
Inconsistency, especially in crunch moments, has hurt MI, while RCB will be keen to address the shortcomings exposed in their previous game.

With contrasting objectives — one side looking to reassert dominance and the other fighting to revive their season — Monday’s contest promises to be a closely fought encounter.

The Vadodara pitch has offered assistance to bowlers in recent matches, placing a premium on discipline and smart shot selection.

With the league phase reaching a decisive stage, this fixture could play an important role in shaping the final standings.
17:51 (IST) Jan 26
MI W vs RCB W, WPL Live Score: Hello and welcome
Hello and welcome to the Live coverage of WPL match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the BCA Stadium at Kotambi in Vadodara.

Table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru will aim to return to winning ways when they face a struggling Mumbai Indians in a Women’s Premier League clash here on Monday.

RCB’s perfect start to the season ended on Saturday with a loss to Delhi Capitals, a timely reminder of how quickly fortunes can change as the league enters its business end.

Despite that setback, Bengaluru remain comfortably placed at the top of the table, having displayed all-round consistency through the tournament, and will be eager to move past the defeat with the playoffs approaching.

Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, are desperate for a turnaround. The defending champions are on a three-match losing streak, a slump that has stalled their campaign and placed their playoff hopes under strain.

A victory over the league leaders would not only halt the slide but also provide a crucial confidence lift for a side still searching for momentum.
MI vs RCB, WPL Highlights: For RCB, skipper Smriti Mandhana has set the tone with steady runs at the top, while Nadine de Klerk has provided valuable contributions with both bat and ball. However, the middle order will need to step up, with Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav expected to turn promising starts into match-winning efforts after a batting wobble in the last outing.

Mumbai have leaned heavily on Nat Sciver-Brunt, their standout performer across disciplines, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur adding a few impactful cameos. Amelia Kerr has also delivered timely breakthroughs to keep MI in the contest despite recent losses.

That said, MI will be seeking stronger returns from their unsettled top order, while their bowling — particularly at the death — will be under scrutiny following struggles to defend or contain totals during the losing run.

Both teams will hope their key players rise to the occasion as the tournament heads into its crucial phase.

In their previous meeting this season, RCB edged MI by three wickets in the opening match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.