Mumbai Indians (MI) stumbled in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 opener, falling short by 3 wickets to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on January 9 at DY Patil Stadium, but roared back emphatically on January 10 against Delhi Capitals (DC). Harmanpreet Kaur’s defending champions defended a competitive total of 195, clinching a crucial victory by 50 runs to square their ledger early in the tournament. For DC, led by Jemimah Rodrigues, the defeat marked a shaky start; their top order crumbled under pressure, exposing vulnerabilities after winning the toss and bowling first.
Delhi Capitals’ decision to field first set the tone for three standout WPL debutants: South Africa’s explosive opener Lizelle Lee and India’s fiery pacer Nandani Sharma for DC, with Haryana’s young all-rounder Triveni Vasistha featuring for MI. Post the mega auction on November 27, 2025, where DC snapped up Lee and Sharma, while MI invested in Vasistha these newcomers brought fresh energy to a match that tested both sides’ resolve after MI’s prior loss and DC’s batting woes.
Nandani Sharma (India) (Delhi Capitals)
The 24-year-old youngster from Chandigarh, right-arm fast-medium sensation channeled her 2025 domestic T20 exploits into her WPL bow. In a fiery 3 over spell, she claimed 2 key wickets (Gunalan Kamalini and Nicola Carey) while conceding 26 runs at an economy of 8.66, injecting pace and bounce to disrupt MI’s batting unit. Sharma’s debut grit offered DC a bowling bright spot amid their batting struggles.
Lizelle Lee (Australia) (Delhi Capitals)
The 33-year-old right-handed opener and wicketkeeper has 1896 runs in 82 WT20Is at a strike rate of 110 under her name, with 1 century and 13 fifties. On her WPL debut, Lee blazed 10 off 10 balls, including 2 boundaries, before perishing, but her glovework shone with 2 sharp catches that rattled MI early. Her aggression hinted at DC’s intent to rebuild momentum despite the top order collapse that followed.
Triveni Vasistha (India) (Mumbai Indians)
The 18-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner and left-hand batter from Haryana debuted with poise, backed by T20 domestics of 47 runs at Strike Rate of 100 and 12 wickets at economy of 5 over 20 innings. Adding variety to MI’s attack. On her WPL debut, Triveni bowled 1 over and gave away 12 runs.
MI’s timely triumph lifts spirits after the RCB heartbreak, while DC laments a top-order meltdown in their first outing. Lanning’s side will dissect errors, lean on Lee and Sharma’s promise, and return fiercer. These debutants infused flair, underscoring WPL 2026’s blend of star power and raw talent.
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