Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling and assistant coach Anya Shrubsole lit up the post-match press conference after her side’s dominant 8-wicket victory over UP Warriorz on 29th January 29th in Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 Match 18, at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
Nadine de Klerk’s career-best 4/22 triggered a collapse, restricting UPW to 143/8, while Grace Harris’s all-round fireworks (75 off 37 & 2/22) and Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten 54 off 27 powered RCB to a stroll in the chase with 41 balls spare. This win sealed RCB’s top table finish with 12 points from 8 games (6 victories), earning a direct entry into the final on February 5, leaving UPW’s playoff hopes dangling.
Shrubsole reserved special praise for Lauren Bell, the English pacer RCB snagged for ₹90 lakhs in the November 2025 auction after she warmed UPW’s bench. Bell’s tight 1/21 laid the platform, complementing de Klerk’s middle-overs mastery. “She’s obviously bowled brilliantly in this competition, has got us off to loads of good starts, even if she’s not picking up wickets, she’s keeping things really tight,” Shrubsole said.
“She’s done a huge amount of work behind the scenes. Just hope that she can do it for one more game.” Shrubsole revealed RCB’s auction strategy hinged on Bell as their ideal powerplay enforcer (12 wickets at 15 avg, 5.62 econ in 8 games), outbidding rivals when her name popped up first.
Nadine De Klerk’s game-changing over, dismissing Meg Lanning (41 off 30) and debutant Amy Jones (1 off 2) to shatter UPW’s 74-run opening stand with Deepti Sharma, proved pivotal. The South African’s 4/22 reclaimed the Purple Cap (15 wickets at 13.53 avg, tied with Gujarat Giants’ Sophie Devine), fueling RCB’s stranglehold post-powerplay.
Shrubsole lauded her clarity and grit, “She’s really clear on what she wants to do. She executes more often than not. That was a real game-changing over. Right, you get Meg Lanning out, get Amy Jones out and the game kind of flipped from there.” Lauren Bell (1/21) and Shreyanka Patil (1/27) chipped in, as RCB flipped pressure after early leaks.
A tactical masterstroke came via Grace Harris, whose surprise 2/22 (Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon) preceded her explosive 75 (13 fours, 2 sixes) in a 108-run opening blitz with Mandhana. Shrubsole credited skipper instinct: “It would have been Smriti. She clearly had a bit of a gut instinct. Grace is someone, as a cricketer, full stop, she makes things happen.” Mandhana’s calm captaincy shone through, from bowling calls to her, leading RCB’s batting charts and 2nd overall in the tournament, 290 runs (141.46 SR, 48.33 avg, 2 fifties).
On-field poise stemmed from planning and adaptability, Shrubsole explained. After UPW raced to 74/0, de Klerk’s intervention and a sharp timeout reset momentum. “I thought from the point we got Meg out to the end of the innings, we were outstanding. Trusting that if we execute our skills for long enough, then we give ourselves the best chance.”
Pooja Vastrakar, back from injury, eyes a batting role in the final, with Shrubsole praising Mandhana’s understated leadership: “She’s really calm and really clear. She trains unbelievably hard. She’s a wonderful captain.” RCB’s bowling depth, Bell’s swing, de Klerk’s bite, and Harris’s X-factor position them as favourites for their 2nd WPL title.
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