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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 RCB fielded six debutants, while MI handed out two new caps
- 2🏆 MI were without star all-rounder Hayley Matthews due to illness
- 3💡 Smriti Mandhana chose to bowl first, targeting the expected dew
- 4🔮 RCB’s new-look squad could redefine the WPL 2026 pecking order
"As many as six players made their RCB debuts while MI handed a maiden cap to two players"
Royal Challengers Bengaluru kicked off WPL 2026 with a bold call at the DY Patil Stadium, skipper Smriti Mandhana winning the toss and putting defending champions Mumbai Indians in – on a night when MI were rocked by the absence of star all-rounder Hayley Matthews due to illness.
The league’s glamour clash lost a bit of its sheen with one of its biggest match-winners missing, but the contest gained a tactical twist. Without Matthews’ explosive starts and handy off-spin, MI suddenly looked lighter both at the top and through the middle overs, forcing Harmanpreet Kaur’s side to reshuffle roles right before the first ball of a new season.
Debut-heavy RCB chase dew advantage
For RCB, this opener was always going to be about a fresh beginning, but Mandhana took that theme to another level by handing out as many as six debut caps. It signalled a franchise willing to break from the past, inject new energy and back youngsters on the biggest women’s T20 stage in the world.
On the other side, MI introduced two debutants, blending their tried-and-tested core with fresh faces as they chase back-to-back titles. With Mandhana openly citing expected dew later in the night, RCB’s decision to bowl is straight out of the modern T20 playbook – restrict early, then let the batters chase under friendlier conditions.
For Indian fans, this was classic WPL drama from ball one: big stars, big absences and brave calls. If RCB’s new-look XI delivers under lights, this toss decision could become one of the defining early storylines of the 2026 season.
