Mumbai Indians' title defence in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 got off to a disappointing start as they succumbed to a three-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a thrilling opener at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Friday. Head coach Lisa Keightley pinpointed dropped catches and a below-par first-innings total as the key reasons for the loss against the Smriti Mandhana-led side.
De Klerk's Heroics Steal the Show
The match was decisively swung by RCB's South African all-rounder, Nadine de Klerk. She first delivered a magnificent bowling spell of 4 wickets for 26 runs to restrict the defending champions to 154 for 6. Later, with the bat, she played a match-winning unbeaten knock, smashing 20 runs in the dramatic final over to chase down the target. Her innings was the cornerstone of RCB's successful pursuit of 155 runs.
Missed Opportunities Haunt Mumbai Indians
The contest took a decisive turn in the 19th over of RCB's chase when de Klerk was dropped twice in a single over—first by Nat Sciver-Brunt and then by Amelia Kerr. These reprieves proved extremely costly. "The dropped catches really hurt us in the long run," admitted a disappointed Keightley in the post-match press conference. She also felt that another 10 runs in their innings could have made a significant difference to the outcome.
Keightley did find a silver lining in the bowling of England's Lauren Bell, who delivered a brilliant spell of 1 wicket for just 14 runs in her 4 overs. "Lauren Bell bowled extremely well on those conditions. We put pressure on early," the coach said.
Match Recap: A Rollercoaster Encounter
After RCB won the toss and elected to field, Mumbai Indians found themselves in trouble at 67 for 4. A vital 82-run partnership between S Sajana (45 off 25 balls) and Nicola Carey (40 off 29 balls) helped them post a competitive total of 154 for 6.
In reply, RCB started strongly with a 40-run opening stand between Grace Harris (25 off 12) and Smriti Mandhana (18 off 13). Leg-spinner Amelia Kerr (2/13) then triggered a collapse, reducing RCB to 65 for 5. However, a 52-run stand between de Klerk and Arundhati Reddy (20 off 25) kept RCB in the hunt.
The game came down to the final over, with RCB needing 18 runs. After two dot balls from Sciver-Brunt, de Klerk sealed a memorable victory by hitting 6, 4, 6, and 4 off the next four deliveries, with Prema Rawat (8*) providing support at the other end.
The victory gives Royal Challengers Bengaluru a perfect start to their WPL 2026 campaign, while the Mumbai Indians will look to address their fielding lapses before their next fixture.
