Royal Challengers Bengaluru produced a one-sided show in Navi Mumbai as an explosive opening stand between Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana sealed a nine-wicket win over UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League on Monday. Asked to bat first, UP Warriorz were rocked early by disciplined bowling from RCB and slumped to 50 for 5 inside nine overs. The innings was rescued by a calm and increasingly aggressive sixth-wicket partnership between Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin. After steadying things initially, the pair lifted the tempo late, adding 93 runs together to take UPW to 143 for 5. Deepti finished unbeaten on 45 off 35 balls, striking five fours and a six, while Dottin supported her with an unbeaten 40 off 37 deliveries. Nadine de Klerk and Shreyanka Patil picked up two wickets apiece, while Lauren Bell impressed again with figures of 1 for 16 from four overs.
RCB’s reply was brutal. Harris set the tone straightaway, taking on Deepti Sharma in the opening over and never easing up. Besides her, Mandhana rotated strike smoothly and punished anything loose. The turning point came in the final over of the powerplay, when Harris dismantled Deandra Dottin for 32 runs, an over that featured three sixes, four boundaries, a no-ball and a wide. Harris brought up a 22-ball fifty as RCB stormed to 78 without loss at the end of six overs, a phase that effectively ended the contest. RCB crossed 100 in just 7.5 overs and were 121 without loss at the halfway mark. The 137-run opening stand ended when Harris was caught by Meg Lanning for a stunning 85 off 40 balls, which included ten fours and five sixes. By then, the target was all but done. Mandhana remained unbeaten on 47, with Richa Ghosh beside her, as RCB completed the chase in 12.1 overs to register a second straight win, while UP Warriorz slipped to their second successive defeat. Brief scores: UP Warriorz 143/5 in 20 overs lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 145/1 in 12.1 overs.
