WPL 2026: What Mumbai Indians need to qualify for Eliminator

With just one league match left in the Women’s Premier League 2026, the race for the final playoff spot is still alive, and Mumbai Indians are still in contention despite a setback against Gujarat Giants. The Gujarat based team have already secured their place in the Eliminator, but MI, Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz remain in the hunt for the last qualifying slot. 

At this point, MI sit on six points and have no game left, so their fate now depends on the result of Delhi Capitals’ final match against UP Warriorz. Even though MI lost to Gujarat, they currently hold the best net run-rate (NRR) among the three sides still fighting for the Eliminator spot.

Because of their superior NRR, MI could still progress under the following scenario: UP Warriorz must beat Delhi Capitals in their last match, but only by a small margin. If that happens, all three teams, MI, DC and UPW, would finish on six points each. In that case, MI’s stronger net run-rate would see them edge into the eliminator alongside Gujarat Giants. 

On the other hand, if Delhi Capitals win their match, they take the final playoff spot outright, leaving MI eliminated.

For UP Warriorz, qualification looks extremely unlikely. They not only need to beat DC, but must do so by beating Delhi Capitals by around 156 runs to overhaul MI’s net run-rate. For the context, the biggest victory margin in the WPL’s history remains when MI had beaten GG by 143 runs in 2023. 

So, the path to Mumbai’s qualification is simple, hope GG beats Delhi, but with a small margin. 

Gujarat Giants breaks MI jinx to seal the eliminator spot

GG, led by Ashleigh Gardner, finally held an upper hand over Mumbai Indians after facing eight consecutive losses in WPL. The victory proved to be extra special, as they qualified for the Eliminator through it.

Batting first, GG scored 167 with captain Gardner scoring a handful 46. Then the bowlers successfully restricted the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, winning the encounter by 11 runs. Georgia Wareham was named Player of the Match for her all-round contribution.