Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat defending champions Mumbai Indians by three wickets in the opening match of WPL 2026 on January 9 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Nadine de Klerk scored an unbeaten 63 runs and took four wickets to guide RCB to victory in a final-ball thriller.
Chasing 155 runs, RCB reached 157 for seven in 20 overs. Mumbai Indians had scored 154 for six in their 20 overs. De Klerk hit 18 runs in the final over, bowled by Nat Sciver-Brunt, to seal the win for RCB.
Nadine de Klerk Stars with Bat and Ball
De Klerk came to bat when RCB was struggling at 65 for five in the ninth over. She hit seven fours and two sixes in her 44-ball knock. The South African all-rounder also took four wickets for 26 runs in her four overs during the Mumbai innings.
Nadine won the Player of the Match award for her all-round performance. The final over started with RCB needing 18 runs. De Klerk hit a six off the third ball to bring up her fifty. She followed it with a four, another six, and sealed the win with another four to the long-off boundary at 11:10 PM IST.
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How the Match Unfolded
Mumbai Indians batted first after Smriti Mandhana won the toss and chose to bowl. Mumbai’s innings started poorly with only 34 runs in the power play. Wicketkeeper G Kamalini scored 32 runs to give the team some stability. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur made 20 runs before getting out.
Sajeevan Sajana and Nicola Carey put together an 82-run partnership to push Mumbai to a competitive total. Sajana scored 45 runs while Carey remained unbeaten on 40. Lauren Bell bowled well for RCB, taking one wicket for just 14 runs in her four overs. De Klerk dismissed both Sajana and Harmanpreet during her spell.
RCB’s chase began strongly with Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris adding 40 runs in three overs. However, Mumbai’s bowlers struck back quickly. Shabnim Ismail removed Mandhana for 18 runs. Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur and Amelia Kerr picked up wickets to reduce RCB to 65 for five.
De Klerk found support from Arundhati Reddy, who scored 20 runs off 25 balls. The two added 52 runs to bring RCB back into the match. After Reddy got out, Prema Rawat stayed with De Klerk to help finish the job. Rawat scored eight runs off four balls in a crucial cameo.
Mumbai’s Fielding Errors Costly
Mumbai Indians dropped two catches and missed a run-out chance in the 19th over. Nat Sciver-Brunt dropped De Klerk at long-off when she was on 48. Amelia Kerr also spilt a catch at deep mid-wicket. G Kamalini failed to run out De Klerk moments later.
These mistakes cost Mumbai at least 20 runs and allowed De Klerk to stay at the crease for the final over. RCB needed 18 runs off six balls when the last over started.
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What the Captains Said
Smriti Mandhana praised her team’s fighting spirit after the win. “We always believed we could win even when we were five down. Nadine knows how to finish matches,” Mandhana said.
Harmanpreet Kaur admitted her team’s mistakes changed the match result. “We did not execute our plans in the final over. The dropped catches and missed run-outs gave them too many chances. We need to learn from this before our next match against Delhi Capitals,” the Mumbai captain said.
Match Summary
Match: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Date: January 9, 2026
Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
Result: RCB won by 3 wickets
Mumbai Indians: 154/6 in 20 overs (Sajana 45, Carey 40*, Kamalini 32; De Klerk 4/26, Bell 1/14)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 157/7 in 20 overs (De Klerk 63*, Reddy 20, Mandhana 18; Kerr 2/13, Carey 2/35)
Player of the Match: Nadine de Klerk (RCB)
What’s Next
Mumbai Indians will play Delhi Capitals on January 10 at 7:30 PM at the same venue. Gujarat Giants will face UP Warriors at 3:00 PM in the first match of the day. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will get a day’s rest before their second match. The win gives RCB two points and puts them at the top of the WPL 2026 points table after the first match.
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