The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 season begins on January 9th with a match between defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and 2024 winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at DY Patil Stadium. Both teams, led by Indian stars Harmanpreet Kaur (MI) and Smriti Mandhana (RCB), are the only franchises to have won the WPL title. RCB will play without key all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who withdrew for personal reasons. The match is seen as a warm-up for the upcoming T20 World Cup.