The Women’s Premier League, WPL 2026 returned in breathtaking fashion as Royal Challengers Bengaluru scripted a last-ball thriller to defeat defending champions Mumbai Indians by three wickets at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy.
In a contest that swung repeatedly over 40 overs, Nadine de Klerk delivered a performance of rare all-round brilliance to anchor RCB’s dramatic opening-night victory.
With a packed stadium buzzing under lights, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and chose to bowl, banking on the evening dew. The decision brought early rewards as RCB’s pace attack hit disciplined lengths and squeezed the life out of Mumbai’s top order.
Lauren Bell set the tone with a maiden over, immediately putting pressure on the MI openers. Amelia Kerr, unusually hurried, miscued Bell to mid-off, while Nat Sciver-Brunt was sent back cheaply for 4 after Richa Ghosh completed a sharp take behind the stumps off de Klerk. When Harmanpreet Kaur was deceived by a well-disguised googly from de Klerk and dismissed for 20, Mumbai were wobbling at 67 for 4, their innings in danger of unraveling early.
Just when RCB appeared to have full control, Mumbai reminded everyone why they are defending champions. Sajeevan Sajana produced a fearless counterattack, targeting the shorter boundaries with clean striking. Her 45 off 25 balls, laced with seven boundaries and a six, shifted momentum decisively. Nicola Carey played the ideal foil, rotating strike and punishing loose deliveries as the pair added 82 runs for the fifth wicket in just 49 balls.
De Klerk returned at the death to remove both set batters and finish with exceptional figures of 4 for 26, but Mumbai had done enough to lift their total to a competitive 154 for 6. On a surface offering uneven bounce, it was a total that promised a tense chase.
RCB began positively, with Mandhana and Grace Harris pushing the scoring rate in the powerplay. Harris looked fluent for 25, but Mumbai’s experienced pace spearhead Shabnim Ismail swung the momentum back with a thunderbolt that shattered Mandhana’s stumps. The dismissal triggered a familiar middle-order wobble for Bengaluru.
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Richa Ghosh and Dayalan Hemalatha departed in quick succession, and despite brief resistance, wickets continued to fall. When Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil were dismissed by the 17th over, RCB found themselves at 121 for 7, needing 34 runs from the final three overs with the tail exposed. Mumbai sensed an opening, tightening the field and forcing dots at crucial moments.
Amid the mounting pressure, Nadine de Klerk stood firm. Calm, calculated, and unflustered, she began to chip away at the target alongside young Prema Rawat, who played a crucial supporting role by rotating strike and refusing to panic. The equation came down to 18 runs required from the final over, with Harmanpreet handing the ball to her most trusted match-winner, Nat Sciver-Brunt.
What followed was a sequence that will be replayed all season. Two pinpoint yorkers produced consecutive dot balls, tilting the contest sharply in Mumbai’s favor. With 18 needed off four deliveries, the pressure was immense. De Klerk responded by backing herself and launching a slog delivery over long-on for a towering six. The next ball, marginally wide, was carved through point for four, bringing up a gritty half-century under extreme duress.
With eight needed from two balls, Sciver-Brunt missed her length by inches. De Klerk did not. A full toss was dispatched over square leg for another six, swinging the pendulum once more. Needing just two runs off the final delivery, de Klerk kept her composure, punching the ball crisply through extra cover to spark wild celebrations in the RCB camp.
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The dugout emptied as teammates rushed to embrace the South African all-rounder, who finished unbeaten on a match-winning fifty to go with her four-wicket haul. It was a performance that defined opening-night drama: decisive with the ball, unshakeable with the bat, and delivered when the stakes were at their highest.
For the Mumbai Indians, the defeat was a bitter one after controlling large parts of the chase. For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, it was a statement start to their title defense ambitions. If this opener is any indication, WPL 2026 is set for a season of relentless drama, and the rivalry between RCB and MI remains as fierce as ever.
