Small targets can often be dicey. But Grace Harris went on the rampage with a 40-ball-85 and Smriti Mandhana played the supporting role with an unbeaten 32-ball-47 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off a nine-wicket win against UP Warriorz without breaking a sweat.
As the D.Y. Patil Stadium remained half empty on Monday, RCB outsmarted the Warriorz in every department to bag its second victory in this edition of the Women’s Premier League.
On a sluggish surface, RCB opted to bowl, and the decision paid off as it reduced the Warriorz to 50 for five. However, the seasoned Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin backed themselves, dug deep and guided the team to 143 for five.
The two experienced players forged an unbroken 93-run partnership for the sixth wicket to help the team put up a respectable total after the top-order fumbled. As Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith bowled stump-to-stump, openers Meg Lanning and Harleen Deol struggled to get going. Warriorz could score just 36 runs in the PowerPlay.
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In what turned out to be a masterstroke by RCB, Shreyanka Patil was brought into the attack early on. Though she conceded 10 runs in the opening over, the young off-spinner eventually triggered Warriorz’ slide, claiming the prized wickets of Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield in her following over.
Nadine de Klerk added to the opponents’ woes, dismissing Kiran Navgire and Shweta Sehrawat off consecutive deliveries before Dottin and Deepti stepped up.
However, with Harris and Smriti adding 137 runs for the opening partnership, RCB cruised. With the dew setting in, the surface eased out. Harris dealt in fours and sixes while Smriti held fort at the other end. Against her former WPL franchise, Harris brought up her fifty off just 22 balls before falling to Shikha Pandey.
By then, RCB was just seven runs away from the target, and it wrapped things up, with 47 balls to spare.
Published on Jan 12, 2026
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