The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026, the fourth season of India's premier women's T20 cricket league, officially commenced on Friday, January 9, 2026. The highly anticipated opening match saw the Mumbai Indians (MI), the reigning champions, take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Mumbai Indians enter the WPL 2026 season as the defending champions, a title they earned by winning the WPL 2025 edition. This marks their second WPL triumph, having also clinched the inaugural title in 2023. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their opponents in the opener, are also former champions, having won the WPL 2024 title. The preview article, published by the Mumbai Indians official website on January 8, 2026, accurately highlighted their status as defending champions and set the stage for the exciting opening clash. The tournament is structured to be played across two venues: Navi Mumbai, hosting the initial phase including the opening ceremony, and Vadodara, which will host the latter stages and the final. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, Mumbai Indians aimed to continue their dominance, while Smriti Mandhana's RCB sought to reclaim the trophy. The WPL continues to elevate women's cricket in India, featuring top international and domestic talent.