Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) crushed UP Warriorz (UPW) by nine wickets in the 5th match of the Women’s Premier League 2026 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. UP Warriorz managed only 143/5 in their 20 overs. After losing half their side by the ninth over, knocks from Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin guided UP Warriorz to a respectable total.
In reply, Grace Harris led the charge with a stunning innings against her former team. She attacked from the outset and hit the ball to every corner of the DY Patil Stadium. Smriti Mandhana supported her well and remained unbeaten. Harris smashed 85 runs off just 40 balls, and by the time she was dismissed, RCB needed only seven more runs with 50 balls still left in the chase.
Bell strikes early again
Lauren Bell continued her impressive start to the season with the new ball. She generated swing and troubled the Warriorz openers in her first two overs. Harleen Deol tried to break the pressure in Bell’s third over, but she mistimed her shot and chipped a catch to Smriti Mandhana at mid-off for 11 off 14 balls. Once again, UP Warriorz failed to get momentum at the top, cycling through opening combinations without success.
Patil delivers double blow
Shreyanka Patil looked threatening even before she struck. In her first over, she nearly had Meg Lanning dismissed, but the shot fell just short of the fielder at backward square leg. Patil made no mistake in her next over. Lanning played an uncharacteristic hack and found Radha Yadav at deep midwicket.
In the same over, Patil struck again. Phoebe Litchfield, who had just reverse-swept her for six, flat-batted a short delivery straight to Mandhana at mid-on. UP Warriorz suddenly slipped deeper into trouble.
De Klerk puts Warriorz under pressure
Fresh from a match-winning all-round performance in the previous game, Nadine de Klerk produced another dream start. She removed Kiran Navgire with her first ball as the batter dragged a length delivery to cow corner. On the very next ball, Shweta Sehrawat departed after Arundhati Reddy took a sharp catch at backward point. UP Warriorz slumped to 50 for 5 and looked in serious danger of folding cheaply.
Deepti and Dottin steady the innings
Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin combined to rescue UP Warriorz with a calm and measured partnership. On paper, their pairing promised aggression, but they initially chose safety and focused on rotating the strike. The tempo changed when Dottin took on Patil in the 15th over, launching a length ball over long-on for six.
That shot lifted both batters. They began to find gaps and boundaries more regularly. Deepti provided the final push by attacking Patil in the last over, which went for 15 runs. Their unbeaten 93-run stand helped UP Warriorz reach a respectable total of 143.
Harris unleashes relentless attack
RCB opted for aggression in the chase despite having inexperienced batters in their top order. They sent Grace Harris to open alongside Mandhana, and the move paid off instantly. Harris raced to a half-century off just 22 balls as RCB stormed to 78 runs in the powerplay.
The highlight came in the sixth over when Harris dismantled Deandra Dottin for 32 runs. She smashed three fours and three sixes in that over alone. Starting the over on 25 from 17 balls, Harris crossed fifty before the over ended. She punished anything in her hitting arc and pulled or drove anything even slightly short.
Mandhana complements the onslaught
While Harris dominated, Mandhana played a classy supporting role. She announced her presence by striking Sophie Ecclestone for two crisp fours early in the innings. The pressure continued as Asha Sobhana conceded 17 runs in her first over.
Harris’ explosive batting made Mandhana’s unbeaten 47 appear quiet, but it was equally valuable. Her lofted inside-out four off Deepti Sharma, with the target almost reached, stood out as one of the finest shots of the match. Together, they ensured RCB cruised home with ease and stamped their authority early in the tournament.
Brief Scorecard
