RCB Storm to Top of WPL 2026 Standings After Dominant Nine-Wicket Win Over UP Warriorz
RCB Women crushed UP Warriorz by nine wickets in WPL 2026 as Grace Harris starred with a blazing 85 in a one-sided chase.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women continued their strong start to WPL 2026 with a thumping nine-wicket win over UP Warriorz Women on January 12. The chase was finished with 47 balls to spare, giving RCB their second straight win and the top spot on the points table.
The match was played at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, where RCB captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and chose to bowl. The decision paid off almost immediately as UP Warriorz lost wickets at regular intervals.
UP Warriorz never really settled in the powerplay. Their top order struggled against disciplined bowling and smart fielding. Captain Meg Lanning was among the early dismissals, and the team slipped to 50 for 5 in the ninth over.
Just when a below-par total looked certain, UP Warriorz found some resistance. Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin stitched together an unbeaten 93-run stand for the sixth wicket. Deepti stayed not out on 45 from 35 balls, while Dottin scored a steady 40 off 37 deliveries.
Their partnership lifted UP Warriorz to 143 for 5 in 20 overs, a total that at least gave the bowlers something to defend. For RCB, Nadine de Klerk and Shreyanka Patil picked up two wickets each. Lauren Bell was tight with her lines and conceded very few runs.
The target, however, looked small once RCB began their chase. Openers Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana attacked from the first over and never allowed UP Warriorz to settle.
Harris played one of the finest knocks of the season. She smashed 85 runs off just 40 balls, hitting 10 fours and five sixes. Her half-century came in only 22 balls, the fastest fifty of WPL 2026 so far.
Mandhana played the perfect supporting role, rotating the strike and punishing loose balls. The pair added 137 runs for the opening wicket, effectively sealing the match before the halfway mark of the innings.
Harris fell just seven runs short of the target, but Mandhana remained unbeaten on a calm 47 off 32 balls. RCB finished the chase in only 12.1 overs, registering their biggest win in WPL history in terms of balls remaining.
With back-to-back dominant wins, RCB look confident and balanced early in the season, while UP Warriorz will need to regroup quickly ahead of their next game.
