In the Women’s Premier League, WPL 2026 on Monday, the Bengaluru Royal Challengers Women made a big statement.
Grace Harris, an all-around player from Australia, ripped through the UP Warriorz’s bowling attack. Harris’s amazing 85-run blitz made it easy for RCB to chase down a small target. This was one of the best performances of the early season.
The UP Warriorz batted first at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and scored 143 runs for 5 wickets. On paper, the total looked like it could be defended, but it was never going to be enough to stop RCB’s strong batting order. The score changed quickly after the first over when RCB’s openers came out swinging.
Grace Harris, on the other hand, really stood out.
Grace Harris’s innings was incredible; she scored 85 runs in only 40 balls. The Australian hit boundaries whenever he wanted and used timing and brute force to put the Warriorz bowlers on the back foot right away. Harris started the fight by putting a lot of pressure on the other team and punishing anything that was short or loose.
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Her 137-run partnership with captain Smriti Mandhana (47*) off only 69 balls changed the course of the game and ended any hopes of a close game. This stand set the tone right away, with 78 of those runs coming in the PowerPlay. RCB was in charge of the chase from the first ball.
RCB’s plan was very accurate. Their plan from the beginning was to put pressure on the other team with good intentions and not let them relax. In the first few overs, Harris and Mandhana both took smart risks, punishing bad deliveries and switching the strike well to keep the runs coming.
Harris didn’t just hit her opponent hard; she also chose her shots carefully so that every risk she took was worth it. During the PowerPlay, when RCB was ahead by a lot, her skill at clearing the field and finding gaps kept the UP Warriorz bowlers on their toes.
UP Warriorz: Fight Back Too Late
The UP Warriorz started off strong, but they couldn’t keep up with how aggressive RCB was during the chase. At first, the top order fell apart, so they had to rely on some middle-order resistance, but it wasn’t enough to stop the RCB attack. Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin helped them get a good score, but their bowling wasn’t good enough to stop the RCB from hitting the ball all the time.
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There were some fights, but once Harris and Mandhana got going, they couldn’t stop the flow. RCB easily finished the chase, winning by 9 wickets with 7.5 overs left. This was a strong statement at the start of the year.
This win wasn’t just a chase it was a statement performance.RCB is in first place in the standings right now, and they have a lot of momentum going into WPL 2026 as they try to build a strong campaign. Harris’s exciting innings will definitely show other teams that RCB has a lot of good batsmen and trusts them a lot.
People will remember Grace Harris’s knock as one of the best of the early WPL 2026 season. Not only did she score a lot of runs, but she also changed the game by dominating the bowling attack.
RCB will need to play better as the league goes on because this win was so easy. Harris’s innings could be the start of a great season for her and the rest of the team. The UP Warriorz will also be paying close attention to the loss and working on their batting and bowling order before their next game.
Match Brief Scorecard with Top Performers:
- UP Warriorz Women – 143/5 (20 overs)
- Deepti Sharma – 45 (35)
- Deandra Dottin – 40* (37)
- RCB Women – 144/1 (12.1 overs)
- Grace Harris – 85 (40)
- Smriti Mandhana – 47*
Result: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women won by 9 wickets
