MI Women vs RCB Women, 1st Match at Navi Mumbai, WPL, Jan 09 2026 - Live Cricket Score

saanvi: "I would've considered it a no-brainer to play Voll ahead of Smith, don't know what RCB are thinking here" -- It is a slightly strange decision. As things stand, de Klerk might be batting at five, and it does seem RCB are a batter short, unless one of Radha, de Klerk, Arundhati or Shreyanka can nail that middle-order role, which they have not done a lot of in the WPL.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Smriti Mandhana (capt), Grace Harris, D Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Prema Rawat, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Mumbai Indians XI: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), G Kamalini, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti, S Sajana, Saika Ishaque

6:45pm It is time for the toss. 15 minutes earlier than usual. Harmanpreet and Mandhana are out in the middle. Harmanpreet has the coin. She gives it a spin. Mandhana calls correctly, and RCB will bowl first. Dew plays a factor here and this is a chasing ground, Mandhana says. The girls have gelled nicely, she adds, and it feels like a fun group, and they cannot wait to start. Six debutants, she mentions. Harris, Bell, Smith and de Klerk are the four overseas players. RCB debuts for three of those players, barring de Klerk.

Harmanpreet says they know about the dew, but wants to see how the game goes. Preparation has been great and everyone is looking in great touch, she adds. Matthews is unwell and not playing, Harmanpreet says but apart from that, they have good balance.

Shadow-Shell: "Uff! I got chills reading that introduction. Looking forward to the tournament matching that energy"

Raji: "Feels like WPL started yesterday, but we're already in the 4th season. It's time to get more teams added. Jemi as DC captain could give us a glimpse of what she can do for India in the future"

6:40pm Here is a snippet from Sruthi Ravindranath, who will be our eyes and ears at the DY Patil Stadium tonight. "Good evening from Navi Mumbai! Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur may well be reflecting on the World Cup final at this venue, but in the context of the WPL, the focus is firmly on outdoing each other, as they've both indicated. For now, they occupy opposite ends of the ground, immersed in their drills and warm-up routines. About half an hour ago, a huge crowd gathered around the RCB team bus, with fans chanting "Smriti, Smriti" as they waited for a glimpse of their favourite star. Around the stadium, the number of streetside vendors selling replica jerseys appear to have doubled since the World Cup. All signs point to a sold-out crowd tonight - there was never much doubt about that, right?"

Sruthi also points out that Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Lauren Bell, Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav are bowling in the warm-ups for RCB. Pooja Vastrakar seems to be missing, which is an indication that she may not be fit enough to feature yet.

6:35pm Almost every season of the WPL throws up a young, unheralded star, and this season promises to be no different. Here is a look at five new faces to watch out for this campaign.

6:20pm The WPL is now into its fourth season, and the landscape feels vastly different from when it started out in 2023. And as Shashank Kishore writes, it is now standing on its own feet, rocking and rolling.

6:10pm Opening night in the WPL and eyeballs, unsurprisingly, are trained on the two skippers, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. What else to look forward to, though? Sruthi's preview should have you covered.

6pm It is that time of the year, folks. Maybe not literally. But symbolically. A tournament that fosters dreams and turns them into reality. A competition that occupies a pedestal all its own, and mirrors how women's cricket, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day, dares to touch newer horizons. And now, amid the backdrop of a seismic moment on Indian shores, and from the land of the world champions, we are back for more. Back for Season Four, and it begins, all over again, tonight.

And so, from that inaugural blue and gold Brabourne ascension, and another triumphant rise of the blue moon on the banks of the Arabian Sea, with a redemptive and royal red-letter day in the capital sandwiched in between, we now waltz into Navi Mumbai. The scene of Indian women's cricket's night of nights. Where Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, mere months ago, stood side-by-side and arms in arms, toe-to-toe and eyeball-to-eyeball with destiny itself.

But where they now stand shoulder-to-shoulder and face-to-face. As foes, as proud custodians of their respective franchise's fortunes, and as leaders of two champion sides chomping at the bit to provide the opening dash of ink on a freshly-minted season.

Hello and welcome everyone to ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the WPL. I am Shashwat Kumar and this is Match One, featuring the Mumbai Indians, defending champions and winners more often than everyone else, and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the sole deviation in an otherwise MI monopoly.

Lots to tuck in to, so hop on!