Smriti Mandhana shines as RCB secures clinical eight-wicket win
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Women displayed a dominant performance at the Kotambi Stadium, defeating UP Warriorz (UPW) Women by eight wickets in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) encounter on Thursday. A brilliant bowling spell by Nadine de Klerk followed by explosive half-centuries from Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana ensured a comfortable chase for the league leaders.
Electing to field first, RCB’s bowling unit put the Warriorz under immediate pressure. While UPW captain Meg Lanning (41) and Deepti Sharma (55) provided some resistance with a steady partnership, the rest of the batting lineup crumbled. Nadine de Klerk was the star with the ball, tearing through the middle and lower order to finish with impressive figures of 4 for 22. Grace Harris also chipped in with two wickets, restricting UP Warriorz to 143/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
The chase was a masterclass in aggressive batting. RCB openers Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana took the UPW bowlers to the cleaners from the very first over. Harris played a whirlwind knock, smashing 75 off just 37 balls, including 13 boundaries and two sixes. On the other end, skipper Smriti Mandhana remained unbeaten on 54 off 27 deliveries.
The opening pair put on a century stand in record time, reaching the 100-run mark in just 8.3 overs. Although Harris eventually fell to Shikha Pandey, the damage was already done. RCB reached the target of 144 in just 13.1 overs, finishing at 147/2. This victory further solidifies RCB’s position at the top of the table, while UP Warriorz will need to go back to the drawing board to address their batting inconsistencies.
