The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is now moving closer to the playoff stage, with 16 group-stage matches completed as of Monday, Jan. 26. Now, only four matches are left. It must be noted that only the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have secured a spot in the playoffs. They are sitting on top of the table with 10 points from seven matches.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) moved up to second place with six points after their win against RCB on Jan. 26, but MI have played one more match than the other teams below them.

Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Giants (GG) are also in contention for the playoffs. Both have six points from six matches, the same as MI, but with one extra game in hand. UP Warriorz (UPW), with four points from six matches, have the toughest path to the next stage.

Updated Points Table As Of Jan. 27:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, Net Run Rate +0.947, Points 10

Mumbai Indians: Played 7, Won 3, Lost 4, Net Run Rate +0.146, Points 6

Delhi Capitals: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3, Net Run Rate -0.169, Points 6

Gujarat Giants: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3, Net Run Rate -0.341, Points 6

UP Warriorz: Played 6, Won 2, Lost 4, Net Run Rate -0.769, Points 4

Playoff Qualification Scenarios:

Mumbai Indians (MI)

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side can finish the league stage with a maximum of eight points and could end as high as second in the points table. For the Mumbai Indians to secure a top-three finish, they must beat the Gujarat Giants in their final league match on Friday, Jan.30, and hope that UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals lose both of their remaining games. If that happens, MI will finish in the top three with eight points, while UPW and DC cannot exceed six points.

ALSO READ: MI Qualification Scenario Explained In Detail

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Delhi Capitals, led by Jemimah Rodrigues, are currently third on the points table with six points from six matches. After a slow start, losing three of their first four games, they have staged a strong comeback with back-to-back wins against MI and RCB. With two matches remaining, the team controls its own destiny. Winning both will ensure a spot in the playoffs.

Gujarat Giants (GG)

Gujarat Giants, led by Ashleigh Gardner, are also in contention for the playoffs despite a mixed run in the middle of the season. They began the campaign with back-to-back wins but managed only one victory in their next four games. The team can secure a place in the next stage by winning both of their remaining matches. Even a single win could be enough if UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians lose at least one more game each.

UP Warriorz (UPW)

UP Warriorz, led by Meg Lanning, are at the bottom of the points table with just two wins this season. They also have the lowest net run rate among the five teams. To stay in contention, they must beat both RCB and DC by large margins in their final two matches to reach eight points and improve their net run rate. A win and a loss would leave them virtually out of the playoff race, even if they remain mathematically alive.

WPL 2026 Playoff Qualification Scenarios: Defending champions Mumbai Indians find themselves in an unprecedented corner in the Women’s Premier League 2026. The two-time champions are struggling to secure their place in the play-offs stage. Led by India’s World Cup-winning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, MI have had a largely inconsistent and disappointing run in the season.

Despite boasting strong depth in either department, MI have never quite played at their very best. The titleholders have just three victories and four defeats next to their name after seven games. Even though they are placed second in the table with 6 points, MI could well slip down to the fourth spot and miss out on the next round. To avoid such a poor end to their campaign, Harmanpreet & co need to pull their socks up and come up with a strong display in their last league game versus the Gujarat Giants on January 30, while hoping that other results go their way.

WPL 2026 Points Table After MI vs RCB Match

Position	Team	P	W	L	Points	NRR
1	RCB	7	5	2	10	0.947
2	MI	7	3	4	6	0.146
3	DC	6	3	3	6	-0.169
4	GG	6	3	3	6	-0.341
5	UPW	6	2	4	4	-0.769

How Can Mumbai Indians Qualify For The Women’s Premier League Playoffs?

With four games remaining in the overall league stage, much of MI’s fortunes do rest on other teams’ shoulders. With two mid-table sides, Delhi Capitals (3 wins, 3 losses) and Gujarat Giants (3 wins, 3 losses), set to collide on Tuesday, Jan. 27, one of those two teams will momentarily displace MI at the second spot behind No.1-ranked Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

MI will then need a favour from the in-form RCB side against the fifth-placed UP Warriorz on Thursday, Jan. 29, needing that Smriti Mandhana & co take them out of the play-offs race with their fifth loss in seven games. The following day, when MI take on the Giants, Harmanpreet’s team require a strong victory that doesn’t just take them to 8 points but also gives them a significant NRR boost. Lose this match, however, and they are most likely out of the competition.

A strong net run-rate could subsequently come into the picture and determine the equation for either the Capitals or the Giants, when the Capitals face off against the Warriorz in the final league game of the competition on Feb. 1. If the Capitals beat the Giants and the Warriorz both, MI should be able to progress to the final round provided they themselves beat the Giants. However, if the Giants beat the Capitals in their upcoming clash, MI would hope that the Warriorz can either defeat the Capitals or lose by a margin that doesn’t allow the Capitals to inch over their NRR. Even a third-place finish will allow MI to play the eliminator on Feb. 3.

If MI lose to GG, they would then need DC to drop their final two matches and RCB to beat UPW. That scenario would create a three-way tie at six points between MI, DC, and UPW, with qualification decided by NRR. However, if DC defeat GG on Tuesday and MI later lose to GG, the two-time champions will be eliminated.

Lauren Bell’s ability to maintain an immaculate length and swing the ball has yielded rich returns for the RCB pacer this season.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI