Mumbai Indians will take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday in the inaugural match of the 4th Women's Premier League. Fresh from the Women's World Cup triumph, Harmanpreet Kaur will lead defending champions MI and will hope to set the tone for the tournament with a good start.
Both RCB and MI have added some much-needed values to Indian cricket and their rivalry across men's and women's cricket has helped the game to evolve over the years. Mumbai brought in some good names at the auction and the onus will be on the likes of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr to get it going.
Ahead of the WPL clash, MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur opened up on her expectations in this edition.
While speaking on Star Sports, she said, "You feel pressure in any format, whether it is WPL, international cricket, or domestic matches. You set a high standard for yourself and expect a lot. But the most important thing is to enjoy yourself on the field. Other than taking pressure, I would love to enjoy my game. Winning the Women's ODI World Cup and the WPL as captain adds extra responsibility to win again. But my main focus as captain is to help the players feel settled and enjoy the game."
The DY Patil Stadium saw history unfold a few months ago when India beat South Africa to lift their maiden World Cup title. G Kamalini was retained ahead of IPL 2026 and the 17 year old will be in focus this term. She recently made her India debut against Sri Lanka and has all the potential to be a future star.
A big-hitting southpaw, Kamalini, is expected to justify her price tag this season. She smashed the winning runs against RCB and should she get a chance, it will be interesting to see how she approaches the game.
