Time running out for under-pressure MI as RCB eye direct final spot
Four defeats in six games have pushed MI into unfamiliar WPL territory
S Sudarshanan
25-Jan-2026 • 9 hrs ago
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur pose with the WPL trophy • BCCI
Big picture - MI's unusual season
Before the ongoing season, Mumbai Indians [MI] had never lost four matches in the group stage of a WPL season. In WPL 2024 when they did not make the final, their defeat in the eliminator was their fourth. In WPL 2026, however, MI have already lost four games out of the six they have played. But the silver lining is that they are one of only two teams, their next opponents Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) being the other, to have a positive net run-rate.
For starters, the shoulder niggle to Hayley Matthews complicated MI's opening combination a little. For three seasons, Matthews and Yastika Bhatia were a staple at the top of the order, with S Sajana (2024) and Amelia Kerr (2025) stepping up when Bhatia was sidelined or pushed down because of lack of form. But MI have had four opening pairs in six games this season, and their average of 21.6 for the first-wicket partnership is only better than UP Warriorz's 12.1.
With the ball, too, MI have the highest economy (8.6) in the powerplay. They have conceded 50 or more in the first six overs four times this season, the most by any team. With Nicola Carey coming good at No. 5 and also stepping up with the ball, MI left out their bankable quick in Shabnim Ismail for one game. Ismail hadn't missed a game in their victorious campaign last year.
Only Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt have scored over 200 runs for MI this season, with none of the other batters even touching 150. With two games and a four-way qualification tangle in front of them, time is running out for MI. They will come up against RCB, who are coming off their first defeat in this season and will be hungry for one win that will confirm a direct finals spot for them. Will pressure bring out the best from MI, who are in the middle of a three-match losing streak?
Team news & likely XIs
Despite the defeat, RCB could go in unchanged, unless Pooja Vastrakar is match-ready.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable XI): 1 Grace Harris, 2 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 3 Georgia Voll, 4 Gautami Naik, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Radha Yadav, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Pooja Vastrakar/Sayali Satghare, 9 Arundhati Reddy, 10 Shreyanka Patil, 11 Lauren Bell
The ease with which Delhi Capitals chased down the target against RCB could suggest MI do need Amelia Kerr in the XI. She could come in at Nicola Carey's expense since they have enough seam-bowling cover.
Mumbai Indians (probable XI): 1 S Sajana, 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr/Nicola Carey, 6 Amanjot Kaur, 7 Sanskriti Gupta, 8 Poonam Khemnar, 9 Rahila Firdous (wk), 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Vaishnavi Sharma
Big question
MI have had four opening pairs this season, the most by any team so far. They are yet to stitch a half-century partnership for the first wicket.
In the spotlight: RCB openers vs MI new-ball bowlers
MI have used Shabnim Ismail (15 overs) and Nicola Carey (nine) the most inside the powerplay this season with both returning three wickets apiece. While Ismail has an economy of 5.33 in the first six overs, Carey has gone at 9.33 with Sciver-Brunt, their third-most used bowler, going at 9.42 for her two wickets. In the two games that Matthews has played this year, she has bowled three overs inside the powerplay (economy 15.33). Put RCB as the opponent and MI will be able to see the bright side.
Ismail has dismissed Smriti Mandhana five times in 22 innings (strike rate of 131.20), Grace Harris three times in 15 innings (strike rate 107.40) in T20 cricket. Carey, too has a decent record against the RCB openers: 63 runs, 44 balls, four dismissals in ten innings vs Mandhana and 108 runs, 88 balls, three dismissals in 13 innings versus Harris. Matthews, too, has five dismissals in 23 innings against Mandhana, who strikes her at 120.56. Can MI change their powerplay narrative in WPL 2026?
Key stats
- Mandhana has scored 203 runs in 145 balls against Sciver-Brunt in women's T20s, with Sciver-Brunt dismissing her eight times in 27 innings. Only Ashleigh Gardner has dismissed her more times in T20 cricket.
- Matthews' 16 wickets in the powerplay are the joint second-most with Sciver-Brunt in the WPL
- Richa Ghosh has scored 200 runs at a strike rate of 201.04 at the death in the WPL. Among those with at least 100 runs in overs 17-20, Ghosh's strike rate is second only to Harmanpreet Kaur's 205.73
Pitch & conditions
The surfaces at the Kotambi Stadium have had lesser bounce as compared to Navi Mumbai. Bowlers in general have had more say in proceedings, with the highest team total being RCB's 178 for 6. While spinners had an economy of 9.37 at the DY Patil Stadium in WPL 2026, they have gone at 7.22 in Vadodara for 22 wickets. The temperature is expected to be in the early 20s during the duration of the match.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7