Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) crushed UP Warriorz (UPW) by eight wickets in the 18th match of the Women’s Premier League 2026 at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. After being asked to bat first, UP Warriorz managed to score 143/8 in their 20 overs.
Meg Lanning and Deepti Sharma gave UP Warriorz a solid start, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to capitalise on the opportunity after both Lanning and Deepti were dismissed. Deepti Sharma scored a well-deserved half-century. Nadine de Klerk, who took 4 for 22 in four overs, and Grace Harris, who claimed 2 for 22 in three overs, applied the brakes in the middle overs and dismantled the Warriorz batting lineup.
In reply, Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana provided RCB with a strong start. Both batters completed their half-centuries as RCB chased down the target comfortably in just 13.1 overs.
Deepti’s fifty gives UPW hope after solid opening stand
UPW made a key change at the top after Kiran Navgire’s poor run of form. The decision paid early dividends. Lanning and Deepti stitched together a half-century partnership and gave UPW their first wicketless powerplay against RCB this season.
The innings started slowly, with only 12 runs coming from the first three overs. However, the momentum shifted quickly. The next three overs produced 38 runs, taking UPW to 50 without loss at the end of the powerplay.
Deepti took on the role of aggressor. She struck boundaries off Shreyanka Patil and followed it up by attacking Lauren Bell with a four and a six. Lanning joined the charge by punishing Sayali Satghare. The pressure increased further when Lanning hit three fours in four balls off Arundhati Reddy, pushing the run rate beyond 9.50.
De Klerk triggers collapse in middle overs
Nadine de Klerk once again proved her value for RCB. She struck immediately in the ninth over when Lanning was caught at sweeper cover. Just four balls later, Amy Jones, playing as Georgia Litchfield’s injury replacement, was trapped lbw by one that jagged back in.
Those two quick wickets stalled UPW’s strong start. Over the next six overs, UPW scored only 32 runs while losing four wickets. Deepti struggled to keep the momentum going and scored just 11 runs from 11 balls in this phase.
Although Deepti attacked Harris briefly in the 16th over, UPW were already behind the game. They managed only 72 for 4 during the middle overs.
Late wickets restrict UPW to below-par total
Deepti reached her fourth WPL half-century, taking 40 balls to get there. However, her innings and the strong opening phase remained the only positives for UPW.
De Klerk struck twice again in her final over, tightening RCB’s grip on the match. UPW could score only 21 runs while losing four wickets in the death overs. They eventually finished on 143 for 8 after being asked to bat first.
De Klerk ended with figures of 4 for 22. With that spell, she equalled Sophie Devine’s tally of 15 wickets, the highest in this season and the most by an RCB bowler in a single WPL edition.
Given RCB’s powerful batting lineup and the return of Pooja Vastrakar after the T20 World Cup 2024, the target looked well short of what was needed.
Harris’ early assault breaks UPW’s bowling plans
UPW began the defence with some discipline. Kranti Gaud bowled four dot balls across her first two overs, which was a decent effort with fielding restrictions in place. However, the rest of her deliveries were punished heavily.
Harris capitalised on loose lines and smashed five fours in the third over. That burst set the tone for the chase. Gaud conceded 29 runs from her two overs and did not bowl again. Although Shikha Pandey eventually dismissed Harris with a swinging length delivery, the damage had already been done.
Mandhana finishes job in style
Smriti Mandhana watched much of Harris’ attack from the non-striker’s end, but she played her role with authority. She signalled her intent by lofting Sophie Ecclestone over mid-on. Later, she took apart Chloe Tryon’s left-arm spin with three consecutive fours in the ninth over.
Mandhana reached her half-century in just 26 balls, faster than Harris. Her fluent innings ensured RCB completed the chase comfortably.
RCB dominate league stage and earn final berth
The emphatic win underlined RCB’s dominance in the league stage. They lost only two matches out of eight, finishing among the top teams. That performance earned them a direct place in the final and a valuable week’s break ahead of the title clash next Thursday.
It was a game of sharp contrast in Vadodara, and Grace Harris stood at the centre of it. On a pitch where scoring runs looked difficult for most batters, Harris produced a stunning counterattack to take Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) into the final of the WPL 2026.
UP Warriorz (UPW) struggled to score freely through their innings. Apart from Meg Lanning and Deepti Sharma, no batter managed a strike rate above 100. In comparison, Harris played a fearless knock. She smashed a half-century in just 28 balls and finished with 75 from 37 deliveries. Her innings crushed UPW’s hopes and handed them their fifth loss in seven matches, ending their campaign. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!