Kamal Ghorui
Grace Harris delivered a match-winning all-round performance on Thursday to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru finish top of the table and book a direct entry into the final of the Women’s Premier League 2026. While RCB have sealed their place, the race for the remaining two playoff spots remains wide open with four teams still in contention and just two league matches left. Here is how the qualification picture shapes up for each side heading into the final stretch. Gujarat Giants Gujarat Giants climbed to second place after edging past Delhi Capitals by three runs, taking their points tally to eight from seven matches. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals are locked on six points each, keeping the contest extremely tight.
The simplest route for Gujarat is a victory over Mumbai. A win by any margin would take them to 10 points and guarantee qualification. They could also sneak through even with a defeat, provided UP Warriorz manage to beat Delhi Capitals. However, the Giants remain vulnerable due to a poor net run rate of minus 0.271. A narrow loss to Mumbai could put them in danger. For example, if Gujarat lose by just one run, Delhi would only need to beat UP Warriorz by any margin to climb above them on net run rate and qualify, assuming first-innings scores of 160. Mumbai Indians Defending champions Mumbai Indians are still well positioned, largely because they boast the strongest net run rate among the four teams battling for qualification. They also have a dominant 8-0 head-to-head record against Gujarat Giants. A win over Gujarat would lift Mumbai to eight points and should be enough to seal a playoff berth. If Mumbai lose, their fate would then hinge on the final league match between Delhi and UP Warriorz. In a scenario where Mumbai lose heavily, the margins become crucial. If they go down by 50 runs, Delhi would need to lose to UP Warriorz by seven runs or more to stay below Mumbai on net run rate. Additionally, UP Warriorz would also need to avoid a massive win of more than 116 runs against Delhi, assuming first-innings scores of 160. Delhi Capitals Delhi Capitals had revived their campaign with back-to-back wins over Mumbai and RCB after a slow start, but their loss to Gujarat has left them with very little room for error. Delhi will qualify for the eliminator simply by beating UP Warriorz in the final league match, regardless of the outcome between Mumbai and Gujarat. A defeat, however, could complicate matters. If Delhi lose to UP Warriorz and Gujarat beat Mumbai, a three-way tie on six points would form between Delhi, Mumbai and UP Warriorz, with net run rate deciding the qualifiers. For instance, if Gujarat defeat Mumbai by 50 runs, Delhi would need to ensure they do not lose to UP Warriorz by more than six runs to stay ahead of Mumbai on net run rate, assuming first-innings scores of 160. Delhi do hold a slight advantage in playing the final league game and knowing exactly what is required. UP Warriorz UP Warriorz are hanging by a thread after their defeat to RCB. They sit at the bottom of the table with four points and the weakest net run rate of minus 1.146, but are still mathematically in the race. Their only path to qualification is a highly unlikely one. UP Warriorz must beat Delhi Capitals by a massive margin in the final match and hope Gujarat defeat Mumbai by a similarly large margin the day before. Only then could UP Warriorz climb above both Mumbai and Delhi on net run rate. As an example, if Gujarat beat Mumbai by 50 runs, UP Warriorz would need to defeat Delhi by at least 117 runs to overtake both teams and secure a place in the eliminator on February 3, assuming first-innings scores of 160.
