Action will begin on Friday at the DY Patil Stadium here when two-time champions Mumbai Indians led by the all-conquering Harmanpreet Kaur lock horns with Smriti Mandhana's Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening clash of the tournament.

Navi Mumbai: The Women's Premier League's (WPL) 2026 edition will be held with Indian women cricketers participating emboldened by the historic and epic World Cup success that they achieved in November of last year.

Action will begin on Friday at the DY Patil Stadium here when two-time champions Mumbai Indians led by the all-conquering Harmanpreet Kaur lock horns with Smriti Mandhana's Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening clash of the tournament.

When Harmanpreet keeps reiterating that the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is her favourite venue to play, the statement evokes barely any surprise considering the gargantuan achievement from two months ago.

The Mumbai Indians have possibly the best team on paper with the legendary Harmanpreet at the helm of affairs and the England and West Indies skippers Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews respectively, on board.

What makes MI formidable would be their enviable batting riches with the likes of Amelia Kerr of New Zealand, talented Australian Milly Illingworth and India's dependable Amanjot Kaur.

The presence of G Kamalini up the order could pose some selection headaches for the Mumbai Indians team management.

Bowling will be led by the experienced Shabnim Ismail with Saika Ishaque providing support with the latter likely to encounter some challenges following an impressive debut in 2023.

Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) now boast one of the most dangerous finishing combinations in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), with Richa Ghosh and Nadine de Klerk strengthening the middle order.

The presence of both batters gives RCB the confidence to either chase challenging targets or recover from tricky situations, while consistently putting pressure on opposition bowlers.

Richa has been a consistent performer for RCB over the years and remains one of their most dependable batters. In 26 WPL matches, she has scored 625 runs, including eight half-centuries, at an impressive strike rate of 150.96. Her ability to finish games has often been crucial for the side.

While De Klerk is yet to make a significant impact in the WPL, her international credentials speak volumes. The South African all-rounder has scored 667 runs and taken 52 wickets in Women’s T20 Internationals, making her a valuable asset for RCB going forward.

RCB’s overseas signing Lauren Bell could play a key role for the team in the upcoming season. The experienced England pacer brings valuable international exposure and proven credentials, having taken 50 wickets in 36 T20I matches, which could significantly strengthen RCB’s bowling attack.

Skipper Mandhana will have a huge role to play as far as RCB is concerned in the absence of the iconic Ellyse Perry.

Mandhana's form isn't something RCB would be too worried about given the immense potential that the 2024 edition winners have in their ranks.

Australia's Georgia Voll, all-rounder Grace Harris and South Africa's Nadine de Klerk will share the batting responsibilities.

Richa Ghosh will do the job for RCB behind the wickets and also don the crucial role of the finisher.

ndia's Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, and England's Lauren Bell are among the premier seamers for RCB who also have quality spin bowlers in England's Linsey Smith, India's Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil.