Published: January 24, 2026 at 11:44 am
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are sitting pretty at the top of the table while the other contenders are still groping around in the darkness. As the Women’s Premier League 2026 heads into the business end of the tournament, the playoff race remains wide open, with all teams still in contention. RCB started the tournament with a loss against defending champions Mumbai Indians but, thereafter, they have been on a roll.
What is surprising but not a shock is that RCB began the tournament with a handicap as they lost star all-rounder Ellyse Perry, but the others have rallied around and made sure that the gap was properly plugged in. Former India stumper Saba Karim is not surprised at the way the RCB girls have performed in the tournament.
“I am not surprised, but I am pleasantly happy to note that they have been able to fill the huge void left by Ellyse Perry. I think this has been possible because of the inclusion of Nadine de Klerk. She has strengthened the lower middle order as a batter and has also delivered consistent four-over spells with the ball. Because of this, RCB have been able to rework their strategy. Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris are at the top, Gautami Naik has come in to fill the crucial number three or number four slot, and Georgia Voll has featured at number three in the last couple of games. In this way, they have cushioned the loss of Ellyse Perry to a large extent, which is why RCB are right on top at this stage,” Karim said at a Media Day, organized by JioStar.
‘Capitals and Warriorz have better chances’
With the race for the playoffs getting hotter, whom does he think will make the grade. “Looking at the balance of the teams, I think the Delhi Capitals have a very good chance of qualifying. The way UP Warriorz won their last match shows that they also have a very strong side. Meg Lanning is an experienced and accomplished captain, and more importantly, she has started scoring runs. They also have another key player in Phoebe Litchfield. UP Warriorz possess a good bowling attack as well, so I believe these two teams should progress. That said, you can never rule out MI. They still have two matches left, and if they win both, their chances will improve. At this stage, though, if teams perform to their potential, I think Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz should qualify,” he stated.
‘MI lack stability at the top’
What has gone wrong with Mumbai Indians’ campaign this season? Karim said it was a lack of stability at the top. “There is a lack of stability right at the top, which is the biggest reason why MI are struggling at this stage. If you look at Mumbai Indians’ performances over the last two or three seasons, the reason they have done well is because of the stability at the top of the order, especially with Hayley Matthews performing strongly as an opener. This season, however, because of her injury, she was introduced quite late, and they missed out on her experience. Even after her return, she appears to be struggling for form due to lack of match practice, which is evident. As a result, the heavy lifting has been left to Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur. Both have produced some decent performances, but after Harmanpreet, Amanjot Kaur, who has done well at the top of the order? I think these batting holes have really curtailed MI’s performance this season. If you look at the runs they have scored so far, they have hardly crossed 160 or 170, and rarely 175. On the kind of wicket we have seen at D Y Patil this season, you need to score at least 190 to 200 consistently. Their inability to do that has hurt them significantly,” he said.
I think big players, like Beth Mooney, are not putting in the kind of performances required from Gujarat Giants, says Karim
‘Opening woes for Gujarat Giants’
Another team which has failed to perform this season is Gujarat Giants and Karim was spot on what made the Giants tumble down the cliff after making a bright start with two back-to-back victories.
“I think big players are not putting in the kind of performances required from Gujarat Giants. If you look at Beth Mooney, how many runs has she scored? So far, she has managed only about 95 runs, that is her aggregate. The same goes for Sophie Devine. Apart from that one game in which she scored 95, she has added only another 40 to 45 runs to her overall tally. Because of this, there has been a huge burden on Ashleigh Gardner and the other batters, whether it is Anushka Sharma or Bharti Fulmali, to fill the gap. Especially in such a competitive tournament, that is not easy to do. Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine are arguably the most dangerous opening pair this season, but somehow, they have not been able to stitch together a valuable partnership, whether while setting a target or during a chase. Another issue is that Gujarat Giants, unfortunately, have not done well in terms of picking wickets in the middle overs. They have two top-quality, match-winning spin bowlers in Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham, but both have not been able to pick wickets as desired by the side. In total, I think they have taken only about six wickets between them. So, I believe there is a culmination of several factors that have pushed Gujarat Giants to this stage,” he said.
‘Young players doing well for their teams’
Young domestic players are using the WPL to showcase their skills and earn a national call-up. This augurs well for the Indian team and Karim says it is a very healthy sign. “We will see many more youngsters coming through. We have already seen several young players performing well for their respective teams. Anushka Sharma looks extremely talented. Nandini Sharma, the right-arm pace bowler for Delhi Capitals, has a variety of skills and is ideally suited to the T20 format. Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma is a terrific prospect. Deeya Yadav has not had many opportunities so far, but I do feel she has the talent to succeed. More and more performances from the WPL will be noticed by the selectors, and there is a strong possibility that several of these players will earn opportunities at the national level. The platform has been built for that, as it tests not only players’ skills, but also their temperament. National selectors watching these games will be encouraged to see so many young, uncapped Indian players doing well. Another positive this season is that many of these players have been given genuine opportunities- they have been included in the playing XI. These are very healthy signs for the WPL going forward,” he said.
