The 4th edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) ignited on January 9, 2026, at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, with a thrilling season opener between defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), captained by Smriti Mandhana.
RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first, setting the stage for three exciting WPL debutants: Nicola Carey for MI, and Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith for RCB. These newcomers brought international flair and domestic pedigree to the high-stakes clash, which saw MI post 154/6 in 20 overs. Amid squad shake-ups from the mega auction on November 27, 2025, including Radha Yadav and Grace Harris joining RCB, Nadine de Klerk returning to RCB, and Poonam Khemnar moving to MI, the debutants stole the show with their skills.
Nicola Carey [Australia] (Mumbai Indians):
Nicola Carey, the 32-year-old Australian all-rounder, made a surprise WPL debut for the Mumbai Indians after an unwell Hayley Matthews opened the door for her inclusion. Carey emerged as the unsung hero behind Ellyse Villani’s Hobart Hurricanes clinching their maiden WBBL title in the recently concluded 11th edition. She smashed 186 runs at a strike rate of 124.83 and an average of 46.50 in 10 innings across 11 matches, highlighted by a half-century.
With the ball, she snared 10 wickets at an average of 25.60 and an economy of 7.52 in 11 innings and 11 matches. On debut, Carey proved her worth in the middle order, rescuing MI from a precarious 63/3, slumping further to 67/4 in the 11th over. Her vital 40 off 29 balls, featuring 4 boundaries, anchored the innings as MI reached 154/6.
Lauren Bell [England] (Royal Challengers Bengaluru):
England’s towering 25-year-old pacer Lauren Bell brought her Women’s Hundred firepower to RCB, where she has terrorised batters for Southern Brave. Across five seasons, she has claimed 60 wickets in 41 innings at an astonishing average of 14.91 and economy of 6.81, including three four-wicket hauls.
Bell had a brief stint with Sydney Thunder in the 2023-24 WPL edition, playing a couple of games. In her full WPL debut spell, 4-1-14-1, she struck early by dismissing Amelia Kerr in the 7th over of the innings, keeping MI’s scoring in check after RCB’s decision to bowl first. Her control and bounce hinted at more breakthroughs to come in the tournament running until February 5.
Linsey Smith [England] (Royal Challengers Bengaluru):
The 30-year-old left-arm spinner Linsey Smith endured a tough WPL debut for RCB, conceding 23 runs without a wicket in her 2 overs (2-0-23-0). Yet, her form in the 11th WBBL edition for Hobart Hurricanes was pivotal in their maiden title win, where she grabbed 15 wickets in 11 innings and 11 matches at an average of 18.46 and an economy of 7.58.
Smith boasts 33 career WBBL wickets at an average of 23.57 and an economy of 6.66 across 34 innings and 34 matches. Despite the opener setback, her tournament pedigree suggests she could turn the tide for RCB in the weeks ahead.
These debutants injected fresh energy into WPL 4’s opener, blending recent big-league heroics with on-the-spot impact.
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