How Can Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals And UP Warriorz Qualify For Eliminator Of WPL 2026?

Gujarat Giants secured a hard-fought win by 11 runs over Mumbai Indians on Friday (January 30) in Vadodara to confirm their place in the WPL 2026 playoffs. The Ashleigh Gardner-led side finished the league stage with 10 points, and they are guaranteed to finish second in the WPL 2026 points table. But despite losing their first-ever match against the Giants, the Mumbai Indians are still alive in the WPL 2026 playoffs race. However, their fate is not in their hands now. To finish in the top three and qualify for the WPL 2026 playoffs, Mumbai Indians will have to depend on the result of the last league match of WPL 2026, which will be played between Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz in Vadodara on Sunday, February 1.

Mumbai Indians will finish third

in the WPL 2026 points table if UP Warriorz defeat Delhi Capitals on Sunday by a margin of not more than 156 runs. If that happens, then despite finishing the league stage with six points each, Mumbai Indians will finish ahead of Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz in the points table and qualify for the WPL 2026 eliminator match.

WPL 2026 points table ahead of DC vs UPW match

POSITION	TEAM	MATCHES	WON	LOST	DRAW	POINTS	NRR
1.	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	8	6	2	0	12	1.247
2.	Gujarat Giants	8	5	3	0	10	-0.168
3.	Mumbai Indians	8	3	5	0	6	0.059
4.	Delhi Capitals	7	3	4	0	6	-0.164
5.	UP Warriorz	7	2	5	0	4	-1.146

For Delhi Capitals, the qualification scenario is pretty simple. They have to defeat UP Warriorz on Sunday. If they manage to do so, then they will finish 3rd in the points table with 8 points and qualify for the WPL 2026 eliminator match, which is scheduled to take place at BCA Stadium on Tuesday (February 3) against Gujarat Giants. And if Jemimah Rodrigues’s led side lose, then they will get knocked out.

As of now, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians have the same number of six points, but since MI’s Net Run Rate (NRR) is better than DC’s, they can’t finish below Delhi unless Delhi Capitals win their last league match or it ends in a draw. In case of a draw, Delhi Capitals will have 7 points.

WPL 2026 playoffs qualification scenarios

TEAM	SCENARIO
Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Qualified for Final (guaranteed for finish 1st)
Gujarat Giants	Qualified for Eliminator (guaranteed to finish 2nd)
Mumbai Indians	UPW beat DC by less than 156 runs
Delhi Capitals	Beat UPW (by any margin) or Draw against UPW
UP Warriorz	Beat DC by more than 156 runs or Chase down 64-run target in 1.5 overs

UP Warriorz are 5th in the points table with 4 points from 7 matches played so far, and their NRR is -1.146. Like Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, UPW are also alive in the playoffs race, but they need nothing less than a miracle to pip MI and DC and finish third in the points table.

UP Warriorz will finish third in the points table if they beat Delhi Capitals by 156 or more runs. If they manage to do so, then they will have the same number of points as MI and DC, and their NRR will be better than both of them, which will allow them to take the third position in the points table.

If Warriorz bat second, then they have to restrict DC to the lowest WPL total (64) and then chase it down in 1.5 overs.