“Dropped Catches, Under-Par Score”: MI Coach Slams Performance After WPL 2026 Opener Loss to RCB

Mumbai Indians didn’t get the start they wanted in WPL 2026, falling to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their first match at DY Patil Stadium. After the loss, head coach Lisa Keightley didn’t hold back. She pointed straight to dropped catches and a lackluster first-innings score as the main reasons her team missed out.

Keightley spoke honestly after the game. She said MI let big moments slip away. Those dropped catches? They gave RCB a second chance every time, and Mumbai just couldn’t set a target that would put any real pressure on the opposition—especially on a pitch that had plenty to offer.

Fielding really hurt MI’s chances.

They put down multiple catches, and each mistake just made it harder to claw back. RCB’s batters took full advantage. Keightley made it clear—at this level, with so much on the line, you can’t afford that sort of sloppiness.

If MI had held on to their chances, things might have looked different. But with every catch that went down, RCB grabbed the momentum and ran with it.

The batting didn’t do MI any favors, either.

Batting first, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side couldn’t get to a score that would really test RCB. The middle order stalled, and RCB’s bowlers kept things tight.

Keightley said it straight: the team needed more runs, and when they didn’t get them, defending became almost impossible.

Nadine de Klerk stood out for RCB

Grabbing four wickets and then smashing a match-winning fifty. Her all-round show sealed the deal for Smriti Mandhana’s team and handed MI a tough lesson right at the start of the tournament.

Still, MI isn’t about to roll over. Keightley believes this squad can bounce back. With experienced players like Harmanpreet, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Hayley Matthews, she expects the team to learn fast and come out stronger in the next games.

If this opener proved anything

It’s that details matter. For Mumbai Indians, tidying up their fielding and putting more runs on the board are non-negotiable if they want to stay in the hunt.

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