The Women’s Premier League 2026 saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru crush UP Warriorz by 8 wickets at Vadodara on January 29. Grace Harris delivered a stunning all-round show, smashing 75 off just 37 balls and picking up 2 wickets. RCB chased down the target of 144 with 41 balls to spare, making it one of the most one-sided wins of the tournament.
For UPW, Deepti Sharma fought hard with a solid 55 off 43 balls, and Meg Lanning added 41 at the top. But their 143/8 was never going to be enough against an RCB batting lineup in such fine form. Captain Smriti Mandhana stayed unbeaten on 54 off 27, and together with Harris, she made the chase look like a walk in the park.
Match Summary: RCB vs UPW
Here is the complete match summary of this dominant RCB victory:
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| UP Warriorz Women Score | 143/8 (20 overs) |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women Score | 147/2 (13.1 overs) |
| Match Result | RCB won by 8 wickets (41 balls remaining) |
| Best Batting (UPW) | Deepti Sharma – 55 off 43 balls (6 fours, 1 six) |
| Best Batting (RCB) | Grace Harris – 75 off 37 balls (13 fours, 2 sixes) |
| Best Bowling (UPW) | Asha Sobhana – 1/24 in 2 overs (Econ: 12.00) |
| Best Bowling (RCB) | Nadine de Klerk – 4/22 in 4 overs (Econ: 5.50) |
| Player of the Match | Grace Harris (RCB) |
RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first. The decision paid off as Nadine de Klerk ran through the UPW batting order, picking up 4 wickets for just 22 runs. Grace Harris also chipped in with 2 wickets and kept things tight. UPW never got the momentum going in the death overs and finished with a below-par total.
UP Warriorz Innings: 143/8 in 20 Overs
UP Warriorz got off to a steady start in the powerplay, scoring 50 runs without losing a wicket in the first 6 overs. Meg Lanning and Deepti Sharma looked comfortable at the crease and built a solid opening stand of 74 runs in 8.1 overs.
Lanning struck 41 off 30 balls with 6 fours and a six before Nadine de Klerk got her caught by Radha Yadav. This started the collapse. Amy Jones fell for just 1 in the very next over, also to de Klerk. Deepti Sharma reached her fifty off 40 balls (5 fours, 1 six) and tried to anchor the innings, but Shreyanka Patil had her caught by de Klerk for 55.
The middle order crumbled quickly. Harleen Deol managed 14 before Grace Harris bowled her. Chloe Tryon made just 6 and got stumped off Harris. Shweta Sehrawat added 7, and Simran Shaikh contributed 10.
Nadine de Klerk came back in the death overs and picked up Sophie Ecclestone for a duck, finishing with brilliant figures of 4/22. UPW lost 8 wickets for just 69 runs after being 74/0.
RCB Chase: 147/2 in 13.1 Overs
RCB came out all guns blazing. Grace Harris set the tone right from ball one, attacking everything in her zone. She raced to 50 off just 28 balls, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes. The opening partnership between Harris and Smriti Mandhana produced 108 runs in just 9.1 overs, making the chase a formality.
Harris smashed 75 off 37 balls at a strike rate of 202.70. She hit 13 boundaries and 2 sixes, playing one of the best innings of the WPL season. Shikha Pandey finally got her out, but by then, the damage was done. RCB had already crossed the 100-run mark in the 9th over.
Mandhana played the perfect supporting role, staying unbeaten on 54 off 27 balls. She brought up her fifty in just 26 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Georgia Voll chipped in with a quick 16 before getting out to Asha Sobhana. But it hardly mattered as RCB cruised to victory with 41 balls to spare.
Key Highlight: Player of the Match – Grace Harris Steals the Show
The Australian all-rounder delivered a match-winning performance:
- With the ball: 2/22 in 3 overs
- With the bat: 75 off 37 balls (13 fours, 2 sixes)
Harris picked up 2 crucial wickets of Harleen Deol and Chloe Tryon, which broke the back of UPW’s middle order. With the bat, she took the game away from UPW in the powerplay itself. Her attacking approach put immense pressure on the bowlers, and RCB never had to worry about the run rate at any point. The 129.06 MVP points she earned tell the story of her dominance.
Conclusion: What This Result Means
RCB moved up the WPL 2026 points table with this convincing victory. The margin of 8 wickets with 41 balls remaining gives them a massive boost to their net run rate. This was a complete team performance, with the bowlers restricting UPW to a low total and the batters finishing the job in style.
UP Warriorz will be disappointed with how quickly they lost wickets after a strong start. Going from 74/0 to 143/8 is not the kind of collapse a team wants in a tournament like WPL. They need to finish their innings strongly and give their bowlers something to defend.
This match showed the depth of RCB’s squad. With players like Grace Harris, Nadine de Klerk, and Smriti Mandhana firing on all cylinders, they look like serious contenders for the WPL 2026 title.
