After the de Klerk show, Harris and Smriti take over for RCB

After two straight defeats in the Women’s Premier League, Royal Challengers Bengaluru was back to its very best on Thursday (January 29, 2026). That was largely down to Grace Harris and Nadine de Klerk, who played starring roles to help the Smriti Mandhana-led outfit rout U.P. Warriorz by eight wickets at the Kotambi Stadium.

The victory means RCB, with 12 points after eight matches, has topped the league phase and qualified for the final on February 5. Barring a mathematical miracle, Warriorz will be headed for the exit door after the final league fixture against Delhi Capitals on Sunday (February 1).

While de Klerk set up the win with a four-for to restrict Warriorz to 143 for eight, Harris’ pyrotechnics – 75 off 37 balls (13×4, 2×6) — helped the 2024 champion knock off the modest target in 13.1 overs. Smriti played her part with an unbeaten 54.

Harris made her intentions clear in the PowerPlay. She took a liking to Kranti Gaud, punishing the 22-year-old seamer for five fours in the third over with a gleeful grin. By the time Warriorz could take a strategic timeout, Harris had contributed 49 to RCB’s score of 63 for no loss in six overs. Harris’ half-century came off 28 deliveries in the seventh over. The landmark was reached with a touch of flamboyance as Harris sent Asha Sobhana’s flighted delivery sailing over long-on.

When Warriorz batted first, they simply couldn’t build on an opening alliance of 74 between Deepti Sharma (55, 43b, 6×4, 1×6) and Meg Lanning (41, 30b, 6×4, 1×6). Until de Klerk removed Lanning for the breakthrough in the ninth over, Warriorz seemed to be progressing serenely. The Australian gave herself room to hit a full ball inside-out, but could only slice it to Radha Yadav at deep point.

De Klerk’s golden arm yielded a second wicket four deliveries later when Amy Jones was trapped leg-before. That the South African took two more wickets and conceded just six runs in the final over of the Warriorz innings was emblematic of how the evening panned out.