RCB stormed into the final of WPL 2026 by beating UP Warriarz

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into the final of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 with a commanding eight-wicket victory over UP Warriorz in their crucial league-stage encounter at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara.

After enduring two consecutive defeats that threatened their playoff consolidation, captain Smriti Mandhana's side delivered a dominant all-round performance to secure their second appearance in the WPL final.

Opting to field first after winning the toss, RCB's bowlers set the tone early. UP Warriorz openers Meg Lanning (41 off 30 balls) and Deepti Sharma provided a solid start with a 74-run partnership for the first wicket. However, South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk turned the game on its head, dismissing Lanning and breaking the stand. 

De Klerk finished with exceptional figures of 4/22, dismantling the middle order and ensuring UP collapsed despite Deepti Sharma's fighting half-century (55 off 43 balls).Other contributors included Grace Harris (2 wickets), Lauren Bell, and Shreyanka Patil (1 each), restricting UP Warriorz to 143/8 in their 20 overs.In the chase of 144, RCB's openers Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana unleashed a brutal assault from the outset. 

Harris blazed her way to a destructive 75 off just 37 balls (13 fours, 2 sixes), powering the first-wicket stand of 108. Mandhana, initially steady, accelerated to an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls (8 fours, 2 sixes), guiding RCB to the target in just 13.1 overs with Georgia Voll contributing 16.

This emphatic win not only ended RCB's mini-slump but also confirmed their direct qualification to the final as table-toppers, showcasing complete dominance in both bowling and batting departments.