WPL 2026: RCBW stormy win, Grace Harris and Mandhana crush UP Warriors by 9 wickets; broke the winning record

WPL 2026 RCBW vs UPW Match: RCB maintained its dominance in the 5th match of WPL played at DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. The bowlers proved captain Smriti Mandhana’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss and then the batsmen achieved the target in just 12.1 overs.

Grace Harris and Mandhana’s ‘power play’

RCB’s start to chase the target of 144 runs was no less than a storm. Openers Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana thrashed the UP bowlers. Grace Harris hit shots in every corner of the field and scored a quick 85 runs in just 40 balls. Whereas captain Smriti Mandhana, playing cautiously from the other end, played an unbeaten inning of 47 runs in 32 balls.

RCB had put 78 runs on the board in just 5.5 overs, due to which the match was completely out of UP’s control. In the end, Richa Ghosh scored 4 runs in 2 balls and gave the team victory in just 12.1 overs.

Bad start for UP Warriors

Earlier, UP Warriors, who came to bat after losing the toss, had a very disappointing start. RCB bowlers bowled brilliantly and took the first 5 wickets of UP at the score of just 50 runs. At one time it seemed that the team would not be able to score even 100 runs. However, Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin took over the innings and stitched a vital partnership for the sixth wicket to take the team to a respectable score of 143/5.

Pitch and captains’ strategy

Before the match the pitch was converted into a ‘high-way’ As mentioned, which was favorable for the batsmen. RCB captain Smriti Mandhana had decided to field first considering the role of dew. On the other hand, UP captain Meg Lanning admitted that if she had won the toss, she would have chosen to bowl first. For RCB, Shreyanka Patil and Nadine de Klerk took 2-2 wickets, while Lauren Bell got 1 wicket.

RCB’s lead in points table

With this win, RCB has registered its second consecutive win in the tournament, while UP Warriors have suffered their second consecutive defeat. Before the match, the head-to-head record of both the teams was tied at 3-3, but this performance of RCB has given them the lead.

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Who has the record of victory with more balls?

Delhi Capitals holds the record for winning with the most number of balls remaining in the WPL. The team had won the match against Gujarat Giants in the year 2023 with 77 balls remaining. In the same year, Delhi Capitals also defeated Mumbai Indians with 66 balls remaining. Now RCB has reached the third position in this list, which won with 47 balls to spare.