WPL 2026: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana power RCB to thumping 9-wicket win against UP Warriorz
Grace Harris' sensational 40-ball 85 and skipper Smriti Mandhana's stupendous 47-run knock helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) thrash UP Warriorz by 9 wickets in the WPL 2026 on Monday.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hammered UP Warriorz by 9 wickets at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday to bag their second win in a row in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026. Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana starred with the bat as RCB made light work of the 144-run target to demolish Meg Lanning's Warriorz.
Harris slammed a sensational knock of 85 runs off just 40 balls, while skipper Mandhana scored an unbeaten 47 off 32 balls to help RCB chase down the target of 144 runs in just 12.1 overs. Opening the batting together, Harris and Mandhana got RCB off to a flyer in the run chase and made a mockery of the Warriorz's bowling attack with their stellar batting.
Aussie all-rounder Harris was the aggressor at the top as she went after the UP Warriorz's bowlers from the word go, smashing them all around the park. Harris raced to her fifty off just 22 balls to record her fastest half-century in the WPL and finished with a stunning 85 off just 40 balls, laced with five sixes and 10 fours.
The swashbuckling right-hander added a match-winning 137-run opening stand with Mandhana, whose 47 off 32 balls was laced with nine fours. Harris was dismissed by pacer Shikha Pandey in the 12th over after her blitzkrieg. Pandey was the only bowler to bag a wicket for the UP Warriorz as all others went wicketless in what was a dismal bowling performance from the Meg Lanning-led side.
It was a remarkable display from Harris, who shut down criticism surrounding the lack of proper batters in the RCB line-up with her 85-run knock. Harris had scored 25 runs in RCB's win over the Mumbai Indians in their opener last week and bounced back with a big knock against the Warriorz on Monday.
UP Warriorz crumble with the bat and the ball
It was a disappointing outing for Lanning's UP Warriorz, who crumbled under pressure with both the bat and the ball against RCB. Asked to bat first in the game, UP Warriorz suffered a top-order collapse after losing the likes of Lanning (14) and opener Harleen Deol (11) cheaply.
They lost three wickets in three successive deliveries after Lanning's departure to be reduced to 50/5 in the 9th over. However, a rescue act from Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin helped them post a fighting total of 143/5 on the board in 20 overs.
Deepti scored an unbeaten 45 off 35 balls, while Dottin remained not out on 40 off 37 balls as the duo shared a 93-run unbeaten stand for the sixth wicket. However, their efforts went in vain as the bowlers failed to defend the total. None of the UP Warriorz bowlers managed to trouble RCB openers Mandhana and Lanning in what was a dominant display from the duo.
It was UP Warriorz's second defeat in a row after they lost their opener against Gujarat Giants by 10 runs last week. UP Warriorz and Jemimah Rodrigues-led Delhi Capitals are the only two teams winless in the WPL 2026 so far.