RCB in WPL 2026 final as Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana exploits stun UP Warriorz

RCB beat UP Warriorz by 8 wickets [Source: RCB_Xtra/X.com]The Royal Challengers Bengaluru met UP Warriorz in their final league phase match in match 18 at Vadodara on January 29, with the aim to finish at the top of the table and get a direct ticket to the WPL 2026 final.Having won five of their first five matches, RCB faced a little blip ahead of this fixture, while the UP Warriorz' struggles continued throughout the season as they came in at the bottom of the table, with just two wins under their belt. While they still had a game to play after this fixture, their fate depended on this match, and a loss here meant they were mathematically out of the season. As the teams collided in a must-win match from different perspectives, here’s how the match panned out. Lanning-Deepti's steady start in vain While batting first in a must-win fixture, the UP Warriorz got off to a cautious start in Vadodara with a 74-run partnership between Deepti Sharma, who was opening the batting for the first time in the ongoing season of the WPL, and captain Meg Lanning. Before being dismissed, Lanning scored a quick 41 off 30 with six fours and a six to her name, while Deepti stuck to one end, the wickets kept tumbling from the other, and the Warriorz were reduced to 137/6 at the end of the 19th over went on to score 55 off 43 with six fours and a six before she was dismissed. Eventually, UP only managed a 143/8 total on the board, courtesy of a scintillating spell from Nadine de Klerk, picking 4/22 off her 4 overs, dismissing Lanning, Amy Jones, Harleen Deol and Simran Shaikh. The only two batters with double-digit scores in the innings were Deol (14) and Shaikh (10). Grace Harris chipped in with 2/22 (3), and Lauren Bell and Sayali Satghare got a wicket each to keep the top of the table finish hopes alive. Openers cruise through the run-chase Chasing the target, with the number 1 finish in the mind, Grace Harris went all guns blazing to score 75 off just 37 balls, with 13 fours and two towering sixes, while Smriti Mandhana played the second fiddle in their 108-run partnership in just 9.1 overs. Before the experienced Shikha Pandey dismissed Harris, she had notably scored 16 off Asha Shobhana’s over to go with 20 off Kranti Gaud’s over inside the powerplay. After the all-rounder was dismissed on the first ball of the 10th over, the game was as good as done, with a win a mere formality. Captain Mandhana then took charge of the innings and scored a brisk 50 off 26 balls and added 35 runs for the next partnership with Georgia Voll’s 16 off 15, with two fours and two sixes. On the other end, the captain stayed unbeaten and got the team over the line with 54* (27) to her name with 8 fours and two sixes.With this win, RCB have sealed their place in yet another final after winning the title previously in 2024.