An in-form Mumbai Indians side will face a struggling UP Warriorz one in Match 8 of the 2026 Women’s Premier League season on January 15 at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy stadium in Navi Mumbai.
For the game, here we present our preview and predictions.
After losing their opening game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a thriller, MI have turned around their form, having won the next two fixtures.
Their previous outing was against the Gujarat Giants, who came into the game with two wins in two. MI won the toss and decided to bowl first. GG were in trouble early on, losing Sophie Devine for cheap, but decent contributions from Beth Mooney (33 off 26), Kanika Ahuja (35 off 18), and Georgia Wareham (43* off 33), followed by Bharti Fulmali’s late explosive cameo (36* off 15), took the team to a massive score of 192/5. It seemed like MI had bitten off more than they could chew, with Shabnim Ismail being the only bowler in their camp who proved economical on the night with figures of 1/25 from four overs.
In the second innings, GG made quick inroads, with the MI openers unable to put up a big partnership. However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur (71* off 43) led from the front and, with help from all-rounders Amanjot Kaur (40 off 26) and Nicola Carey (38* off 23), chased down the total with considerable ease. None of the Giants bowlers could bowl consistent lines and lengths to trouble the MI middle order and ended up suffering defeat for the first time this season.
In contrast to MI, the UP Warriorz have had a poor start to the season and come into this match without a win from their opening three games.
In their last game, the Warriorz came up against the Delhi Capitals. Having won the toss, DC chose to bowl first and took two early wickets of Kiran Navgire and the dangerous Phoebe Litchfield. However, captain Meg Lanning (54 off 38) led from the front and was ably supported by Harleen Deol (47 off 36). But UPW couldn’t get to a big total as DC pegged them back; in the last three overs, the Warriorz lost five wickets and crawled to 154/8, with Shafali Verma (2/16) and Marizanne Kapp (2/24) being the pick of the DC bowlers.
In response, the Capitals started superbly, with their openers notching a 94-run partnership. After decent contributions from openers Lizelle Lee (67 off 44) and Shafali Verma (36 off 32), their middle-order batters brought the run rate down a bit, which resulted in some nervy moments towards the end. But the Capitals could not be denied a win on the last ball of the match and finally got some points on the board, leaving the Warriorz in search of the same.
As for this match-up, the Mumbai Indians boast a really strong unit with big-name and in-form batters and bowlers. This could be another tough game for the UP Warriorz. If the MI batters get going, it’s hard to see Meg Lanning and Co opening their account for the season here.
Fantasy XI: Gunalan Kamalini (wk), Meg Lanning, Hayley Matthews, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Phoebe Litchfield, Amelia Kerr, Deepti Sharma, Nicola Carey, Sophie Ecclestone, Shabnim Ismail
Venue: Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai
Winners Prediction: Mumbai Indians
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