The Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered consecutive defeats after a five-match winning streak in the ongoing 4th edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). In search of sealing their top spot in the points table in the league stages and a direct entry into the grand finale, RCB were up against UP Warriorz, led by skipper Meg Lanning, who found themselves in a do-or-die situation.
UP Warriorz made a couple of changes; Simran Shaikh replaced Kiran Navgire, and the English wicket-keeper batter Amy Jones made her WPL debut, coming in as a last-minute replacement for injured Phoebe Litchfield. For RCB, Pooja Vastrakar replaced Gautami Naik in the starting 11 for the clash.
The Warriorz’s struggles in the batting department continued as they scraped to a respectable total of 143/8 in their quota of 20 overs, after being inserted to bat first by skipper Smriti Mandhana. Deepti Sharma was promoted to open the innings alongside the UP Warriorz skipper Meg Lanning. The move worked wonders, as the duo stitched a calm and massive 74-run opening partnership for the Warriorz.
Nadine de Klerk landed a double strike to remove a well-set Meg Lanning and the wicket-keeper batter Amy Jones to bring RCB back into the contest in the 9th over of the innings. Deepti Sharma scored a brilliant half-century, despite a collapse, guiding them to a respectable total. Harleen Deol (14 off 14 balls) and Simran Shaikh (10 off 11 balls) were the only other batters to enter the double digits with the bat for the UP Warriorz. The innings also included 9 extras. Nadine de Klerk (4-0-22-4), Lauren Bell (4-0-21-1), and Shreyanka Patil (4-0-27-1) were the stand-out performers with the ball for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The Challengers top-order made light work of the run chase, getting over the line with 8 wickets and 41 balls to spare. As a result, the Smriti Mandhana-led side sealed their top spot in the points table to end their league stage campaign on a high. They have also secured a direct entry into the final of the ongoing 4th edition of the WPL on 5th February 2026. The UP Warriorz playoff qualification hopes to hang on the slimmest of knife-edges.
Top Performers: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz
Nadine de Klerk
The RCB bowlers were put to the test early on by the UP Warriorz openers, after skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bowl first. The introduction of Nadine de Klerk in the 9th over proved to be the masterstroke, as she not only broke the 74-run opening stand by dismissing Meg Lanning (41 off 30 balls), but she also went on to end debutant Amy Jones stay at the crease in the same over, reducing the Warriorz to 78/2. She went on to land another blow by accounting for the scalps of Simran Shaikh (10 off 11 balls) and Sophie Ecclestone for a golden duck to cap off her outstanding spell (4-0-22-4). Her spell played an instrumental role in restricting the UP Warriorz to 143/8. That game-defining spell helped her reclaim the purple cap with 15 wickets at an average of 13.53 and an economy of 7.25 in eight innings.
Grace Harris
The experienced all-rounder Grace Harris was introduced in the bowling attack for the first time by skipper Smriti Mandhana in the ongoing 4th edition of the tournament. The tactical move proved to be a surprise package for the opposition as she picked up the crucial scalps of Harleen Deol (14 off 14 balls) and Chloe Tryon (6 off 7 balls) in her impressive spell (3-0-22-2) against her former franchise. The confidence she gained from having a good day out with the ball was reflected in her batting as she took down the Warriorz bowlers to the cleaners all over the park in the run chase of 144. She registered her 2nd half-century (75 off 37 balls) of the season, opening the innings alongside skipper Smriti Mandhana, en route to their massive 108-run opening stand. Her knock included 13 boundaries and a couple of maximums.
Smriti Mandhana
Chasing a comparatively small total of 144, the RCB skipper, Smriti Mandhana, played 2nd fiddle to the destructive show of Grace Harris from the other end, as the pair took the fizz out of the run chase with a massive 108-run opening partnership. She took charge after the departure of Grace Harris in the 9th over of the chase. Smriti Mandhana (54* off 27 balls) stayed till the end, scoring her 2nd half-century of the season, to guide her side over the line with 8 wickets in hand and 41 balls to spare. The win also secured a direct entry into the final for RCB on 5th February 2026. Her knock included 8 boundaries and a couple of maximums.
Deepti Sharma
The star Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma received a grand promotion from number 6 to opening the innings alongside skipper Meg Lanning after losing the toss and being asked to bat first by the opposition skipper Smriti Mandhana. The move also reflected UP Warriorz search for a strong opening stand. The pair delivered just what the doctor ordered for the Warriorz as the duo not only survived the powerplay phase, scoring 50 runs in that phase. UP looked all set to post an imposing total, with them being 74/0 in 8 overs. The experience of Deepti Sharma came to the fore, as she held the innings together from one end despite losing partners from the other. Deepti Sharma went on to register her 1st half-century (55 off 43 balls) of the ongoing 4th edition. The UP Warriorz eventually posted a respectable total of 143/8 in their quota of 20 overs. She had an expensive outing (2.1-0-28-0) with the ball for her side.
Meg Lanning
The promotion of Deepti Sharma gave skipper Meg Lanning a reliable opening partner to build an innings. The duo stitched a promising 74-run opening partnership after being inserted to bat first by RCB. The move to introduce Nadine de Klerk under pressure in the 9th over by skipper Smriti Mandhana led to the departure of the UP Warriorz skipper, Meg Lanning (41 off 30 balls), which was soon followed by Amy Jones (1 off 2 balls) in the same over. Meg Lanning’s knock included 6 boundaries and a maximum. The UP Warriorz eventually lost the game by 8 wickets, leaving a massive dent on their playoff aspirations, hoping for a miracle to go through the next phase.
Loves all things female cricket