Grace Harris Storm Blows Away UP Warriorz: RCBW Secure Emphatic 9-Wicket Victory in WPL 2026. In a display of sheer dominance and power-hitting, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCBW) dismantled the UP Warriorz (UPW) in the 5th match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. Led by a breathtaking innings from Grace Harris and a clinical bowling performance by Nadine de Klerk, RCBW chased down the target of 144 in just 12.1 overs, sending a loud message to the rest of the league.
The Grace Harris Show: A Masterclass in Power Hitting
The chase was never in doubt once Grace Harris decided to shift gears. Opening the innings alongside captain Smriti Mandhana, Harris was in a destructive mood from the first ball. She hammered the UPW bowlers to all parts of the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, bringing up her half-century in just 22 deliveries.
Her final score of 85 runs off 40 balls included 10 boundaries and 5 massive sixes. Mandhana played the perfect supporting role, remaining unbeaten on 47 off 32 balls*. The opening partnership of 137 runs effectively ended the contest before UPW could even find their rhythm.
Nadine de Klerk and the RCBW Bowling Brilliance
Earlier in the evening, RCBW won the toss and elected to field. The decision paid dividends immediately as the bowlers kept the pressure on. Nadine de Klerk was the star with the ball, picking up 2 wickets for 28 runs (in Match 5 context) and consistently breaking the momentum of the Warriorz.
UPW struggled throughout their innings, slumping to 50/5 at one stage. It was only thanks to an unbeaten 95-run partnership between Deepti Sharma (45)* and Deandra Dottin (40)* that the Warriorz managed to post a respectable total of 143/5. However, against a rampant RCBW batting lineup, it proved to be far from enough.
Match Scorecard: Tool Box
1. UP Warriorz Women (UPW) – Batting Performance
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Meg Lanning (C) | c Radha b Shreyanka | 14 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Harleen Deol | c Smriti b Lauren Bell | 11 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 78.57 |
| Phoebe Litchfield | c Smriti b Shreyanka | 20 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 181.82 |
| Deepti Sharma | Not Out | 45 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 128.57 |
| Deandra Dottin | Not Out | 40 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 108.11 |
| Others (Extras) | – | 13 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | (20.0 Overs) | 143/5 | – | – | – | 7.15 RR |
2. RCB Women (RCBW) – Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Lauren Bell | 4.0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4.00 |
| Shreyanka Patil | 4.0 | 0 | 50 | 2 | 12.50 |
| Nadine de Klerk | 4.0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Arundhati Reddy | 4.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4.50 |
| Linsey Smith | 4.0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 7.50 |
RCB Women (RCBW) – Batting Performance
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Grace Harris | c Lanning b Pandey | 85 | 40 | 10 | 5 | 212.50 |
| Smriti Mandhana (C) | Not Out | 47 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 146.88 |
| Richa Ghosh (wk) | Not Out | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 200.00 |
| Extras | – | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | (12.1 Overs) | 145/1 | – | – | – | 11.92 RR |
4. UP Warriorz Women (UPW) – Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Deepti Sharma | 3.1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 7.89 |
| Shikha Pandey | 3.0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 9.33 |
| Deandra Dottin | 1.0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 32.00 |
| Sophie Ecclestone | 2.0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 10.00 |
Key Takeaways from Match 5
Grace Harris’ Dominance: Harris proved why she is one of the most feared T20 cricketers. Her ability to clear the boundary at will left the UPW captain Meg Lanning with no answers.
The Powerplay Surge: RCBW scored 78 runs in the first 6 overs, effectively killing the chase in the first half-hour.
UPW’s Middle-Order Woes: Despite the recovery by Deepti and Dottin, the top-order failure (losing 5 wickets for 50 runs) meant they were always playing catch-up.
Points Table Impact: With this win, RCBW jumped to the top of the WPL 2026 standings with 4 points and a massive Net Run Rate (NRR) boost of +1.964.
What’s Next?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to continue their unbeaten streak as they face Gujarat Giants in their next encounter. On the other hand, the UP Warriorz need to quickly find a solution for their batting collapses if they want to remain in contention for the Top 4.
Player of the Match: Grace Harris (85 runs and a match-defining opening stand).
The next match in WPL 2026 is scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2026
The league is currently in its final stretch as teams battle for the remaining playoff spots. Here is the schedule for the next few days.
WPL 2026 Upcoming Schedule
| Date | Match | Time (IST) | Venue |
| Jan 30, Fri | Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | Vadodara |
| Feb 1, Sun | Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz | 7:30 PM | Vadodara |
| Feb 3, Tue | Eliminator (TBD vs TBD) | 7:30 PM | Vadodara |
| Feb 5, Thu | Final (RCBW vs Winner of Eliminator) | 7:30 PM | Vadodara |