🏏WPL 2026: Match 16: RCB W vs MI W at Vadodara on 26/01/26🏏 - Page 2

Thanks for the tag, Savera ji!
Best of luck to both the teamsMay the best team win!
Happy Republic Day to everyone celebrating!

Thank you Raji for the thread and for tagging me.

Congratulations to Padma Shri Harmanpreet Kaur, and best wishes to both the teams.

Match No. 16 of WPL 2026 at Vadodara’s BCA Stadium is a must-win for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side because a defeat today will end their hopes of finishing in the top three and qualifying for the Eliminator match, which is scheduled to take place at the same venue on February 3.

On the other hand, a win today over the Mumbai Indians will help RCB secure a place directly in the final.

Mumbai Indians suffered a humiliating defeat by 7 wickets against Delhi Capitals in their last WPL 2026 match played on January 20, whereas RCB also lost their last WPL 2026 match against DC by 7 wickets on January 24.

RCB vs MI Live Score: RCB's Performance So Far

• January 9: Defeated Mumbai Indians by 3 wickets
• January 12: Crushed UP Warriorz by 9 wickets
• January 16: Won by 32 runs against Gujarat Giants
• January 17: 9-wicket win over Delhi Capitals
• January 19: Hammered Gujarat Giants by 61 runs
• January 24: Lost by 7 wickets against Delhi Capitals

MI's Performance So Far

• January 9: Lost by 3 wickets against RCB
• January 10: Defeated Delhi Capitals by 50 runs
• January 13: Won by 7 wickets against Gujarat Giants
• January 15: Defeat against UPW by 7 wickets
• January 17: Went down by 22 runs against UP Warriorz
• January 20: Lost by 7 wickets against DC

Bengaluru's Position In Points Table

RCB have won five out of six WPL 2026 matches played so far in WPL 2026, and with a total of 10 points, they lead the points table.

Mumbai's Position In Points Table

With just 4 points from just 6 matches played so far, Mumbai Indians are fourth in the WPL 2026 points table. They have lost each of their last three matches.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Result In Last Match

Table-toppers RCB faced Delhi Capitals in their sixth league match of WPL 2026 on January 24 but suffered a defeat by 7 wickets against the Jemimah Rodrigues-led side.

RCB vs MI Live Score: Mumbai Indians' Result In Last Match

Mumbai Indians faced Delhi Capitals in their sixth league match of WPL 2026 on January 20 in Vadodara but suffered a defeat by 7 wickets.

Final push, different paths! The final week of league-stage action in the 2026 Women’s Premier League is upon us, and Match 16 sees Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on the Mumbai Indians at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. Two teams arrive with contrasting objectives. RCB have already sealed qualification and have a direct berth in the final within reach, while MI are fighting to stay in the playoff mix. RCB eye a direct final berth!

Can MI turn things around? Mumbai Indians find themselves in a challenging phase of the tournament, having lost their previous three matches. With just two games remaining, they will be desperate to rediscover momentum in what is a must-win phase of the competition. A major issue for the two-time champions this season has been instability at the top of the order. Hayley Matthews was initially unavailable due to a shoulder injury, and then G Kamalini was ruled out, forcing MI to try as many as five different opening combinations in six matches. Even the pairing of Sajana Sajeevan and Matthews has yet to bring success, which has placed additional pressure on Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who have carried the bulk of the scoring. Nicola Carey has made her presence felt with both bat and ball, though it was a concern when she left the field during their bowling effort in the previous game. That said, the five-day break between matches gives MI hope that Carey will be fit to feature. Shabnim Ismail, meanwhile, has not had the same impact she enjoyed in Mumbai’s title-winning campaigns, and that has hurt their cause. Chasing paradise or a level playing field? The Vadodara leg of the 2025 WPL season saw all six matches won by the side chasing. This season, however, the trend has evened out, with two wins each for teams batting first and chasing across the four games played so far. Spoils shared, but is the rivalry really even? The two sides have shared the spoils so far, with four wins apiece from their eight meetings. However, recent history tilts in RCB’s favour. They have won four of the last five encounters, including the previous two and their earlier meeting this season. Different stakes, shared history, and everything to play for in Vadodara. Who will rise and come out on top?

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?

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.

Recent Performance

Last five matches

MI- W | W W L L L
RCB-W| W W W W L

Batters to watch(Recent stats)

Nat Sciver-Brunt, MI-W

9 M • 433 Runs • 54.13 Avg • 152.46 SR

Harmanpreet Kaur, MI-W

10 M • 416 Runs • 52 Avg • 151.82 SR

Smriti Mandhana, RCB-W

10 M • 305 Runs • 33.89 Avg • 127.61 SR

Richa Ghosh, RCB-W

10 M • 212 Runs • 26.5 Avg • 154.74 SR

Bowlers to watch(Recent stats)

Amelia Kerr, MI-W

9 M • 18 Wkts • 8.03 Econ • 11.66 SR

Nat Sciver-Brunt, MI-W

9 M • 11 Wkts • 8.81 Econ • 16.9 SR

Nadine de Klerk, RCB-W

6 M • 10 Wkts • 7.05 Econ • 12 SR

Lauren Bell, RCB-W

6 M • 9 Wkts • 5.75 Econ • 16 SR