MI vs RCB, WPL 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur & Smriti Mandhana ready for opener – Check weather forecast & pitch report – News24 MI vs RCB, WPL 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur & Smriti Mandhana ready for opener

The Women’s Premier League is all set to commence from January 9 with the opening match scheduled to be played between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. MI will be lead by Harmanpreet Kaur and RCB will be led by Smriti Mandhana.

Till now both the teams have played against each other seven times out of which Mumbai Indians has won four matches while RCB has only won three. It is a good chance to the Challengers to level the head-to-head record in this match.

MI vs RCB: When and where to watch?

The Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match will start at 7:30 PM IST and the toss is scheduled to be held at 7:00 PM IST on January 9, Friday. The match will telecast live on Star Sports Network and the live streaming will be available on JioHotstar app and website.

MI vs RCB: Pitch Report

The opening match of WPL 2026 between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be played at th DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. The pitch here is widely regarded as a batting friendly surface which offers consistent pace and bounce. These conditions are ideal for high-scoring T20 encounters, making it a venue where batters can dominate and big totals are expected.

MI vs RCB: Weather forecast

The conditions in Navi Mumbai will remain favourable for cricket and the temperatures will range from 21 degrees celsius to 31 degrees celsius with mostly sunny skies throughout the day. Dew is likely to become a crucial factor in the second innings hence both the captains will be looking to bowl first after winning the toss.