RCB vs UPW Highlights, WPL 2026: Grace Harris smashes 85 in 40 to guide RCB to 9-wicket win

Lauren Bell speaks after RCB's victory over UP Warriorz.

"It has been good. Feel in good rhythm and it is coming out nicely. (On if the weather is helping) Sure. It is a lot warmer here than back home (smiles). I want to start the game and set the tone. Not something I have quite nailed for England. Something I have practiced back home (the out-swinger). (On Anya Shrubsole's impact as bowling coach) Have worked with her for a few years now. She is super calm and brings clarity. Cricket is one of those games you cannot predict. If it is swinging, I can have an impact in the powerplay," says Bell.

Meg Lanning, UP Warriorz captain, speaks after the team's second defeat in a row:

(On whether this is the start she had in mind to her captaincy rein at UP Warriorz)

"Of course not. Would have loved to start with a win or two. Outplayed by RCB tonight. Plenty to work on for us but the good thing is the games come thick and fast, so we will move on quick. It can be a good thing in a lot of ways. Some things we need to tidy up. Never got going. Too many dot balls, myself included. Need to get better there. When they (RCB) got in front of the game, they put it away."

(On Shikha Pandey bowling cross seam)

"Guess (she was) trying to get something out of the wicket. One of the best bowlers in this competition and she does mix it up. Did not come off tonight but we will pick ourselves and go again."

(On Grace Harris)

"It is pretty difficult when she gets going. She has brute force but she played some good cricket shots. She got going and we could not stop her."

Smriti Mandhana, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain speaks after the win.

(On Grace Harris' batting and where the Australian ranks among her opening partners)

"It was the best seat in the house to watch Grace. The way everyone bowled and executed their plans, it was special to watch... All I need to do is take a single. Amazing to watch. Would not want to rate because it is a wrong thing. Shafali, Grace, you just have to take a single. If I was leading the other team, it would have been really difficult. She can do middle order (job) as well. We all were very clear of how dangerous she can be at the top, and how she can take the game away from the opposition.

(On Lauren Bell)

"I was just joking how she will get plants back home (with the dot balls she is bowling). First few overs, she is not allowing anyone to touch the ball. We discussed we were not on point in the first match in terms of fields set and happy everyone was in the right position today. It is something the whole team can be proud of and it is just the start."

(On RCB's results)

"With RCB, one thing I have learnt is to not speak too far ahead. This is the most hardworking group we have got in the last 3-4 years. Let's see how we go."

Sophie Ecclestone is one of the best spinners in the world. Her first ball of the 10th over is tonked Grace Harris for a six that goes over 80 metres! Ecclestone tries a change of angle for the next ball and ends up bowling a wide.

To make matters worse for UP, Deandra Dottin has the chance to catch Harris, but cannot make the ball stick. maybe it was too late in the day anyway. But seeing the back of Harris would have given UP some hope at least.

11 runs off that 10th over. RCB are 121/0

After watching the previous over's carnage from the other end, Smriti Mandhana decides she too needs to keep up with her opening partner, Grace Harris. Mandhana starts off with two boundaries off the first three balls of Sophie Ecclestone's first over today. The rest of the over is quieter, and Ecclestone ends with a beauty that almost gets rid of Grace Harris, the only time the Australian has looked in trouble tonight.

After 7 overs, RCB are 87/0

4NB, 6, 4, 6, 6, WD, 4, DOT BALL. GRACE HARRIS SMASHES 32 RUNS OFF SIX BALLS FROM DEANDRA DOTTIN.

And along the way, Grace Harris gets to her half century in just 22 balls!

Massive grimace on the face of UP captain Meg Lanning already after Harris' six on the third ball. And the creases on the UP foreheads get deeper as Harris goes on a rampage.

Grace Harris is batting on 55 runs off 24 balls (a strike rate of 229) while Smriti Mandhana is on 19 off 13 balls.

RCB need just 66 runs in 84 balls now.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batters are in a hurry. This is just like the first innings, where the UP side also looked like they were in a rush for a dinner reservation. Only difference was that UP were trying to throw away their wickets as quickly as possible, slumping to 50/5, and the RCB opening batters are dealing in boundaries. Effortlessly, one must add.

Three more boundaries in the fourth over with Grace Harris thumping two before Mandhana's classy hit to the fence.

After 4 overs, RCB are 39/0. Almost at 10 runs per over!

Shikha Pandey handed the ball for the third over by Meg Lanning. Pandey, renowned for getting the ball to move away from the left hander, is trying to bowl cross-seam to Mandhana, who punishes the pacer immediately. Tonks the first ball over the mid on fielder for a four. Then slaps the ball over the bowler's head for another boundary.

Two fours in two balls for Mandhana. The rest of the over is much quieter, but RCB pick off 11 runs in that over.

After three overs, RCB are 26/0

Exceptional final over for UP Warriorz! Smriti Mandhana hands the ball to young Shreyanka Patil for the 20th over, and RCB pay the price as UP plunder three boundaries which help them to add 15 runs to the total.

Patil's evening ends with 50 runs off her 4 overs.

What a partnership from Deandra Dottin and Deepti Sharma, who came together with UP at 50/5 and end the game with the team at 143/5. So 93-run partnership without a wicket with Dottin scoring 40 off 37 balls and Deepti scoring 45 off 35 balls.

UP added 43 runs off the final four balls. The target for RCB will be 144 runs!

Deandra Dottin survives a stumping call by the smallest fraction of a second. Smith beat the advancing Dottin with her guile, and Richa Ghosh rattled the stumps. The call is referred to the third umpire, who spends over five minutes looking at the replays in slow motion. The bat was grounded by Dottin, but it also bounced and was on the ground right when the bails were rattled. After what seems like eternity and maybe 25-odd replays in slow mo, the third umpire is certain that the bat was touching the ground just when the bails were off.

But to be fair to the third umpire, a micro second here and there, and she would have been out.

UP Warriorz are 117/5 after 18 overs with Dottin on 34 off 33 while Deepti is on 27.

So we have a battle between Shreyanka Patil, who has claimed two wickets already, and Deandra Dottin, who is one of the last batting hopes for UP now.

Patil trying her best to bowl the ball out of the arc of the hammer that Dottin calls her bat. And the young RCB bowler is getting it wrong most of the time. Starts off with two wides and a no ball. On the free hit ball, Dottin gives Mandhana a catch which won't count.

"Normal khila isko," shouts keeper Richa Ghosh.

Then, Dottin edges the fourth ball to a boundary and then, on the fifth ball, when she gets a ball in the slot finally, she tonks it to a six.

15 runs off the 15th over. Just what UP needed at this stage. The partnership creeping up to 50 now, picking up the team from 50/5.

After 15 overs, UP Warriorz are 91/5

What an eventful over from Shreyanka Patil! Two of the most important wickets of UP pocketed in one over by Patil.

Lanning departs on the first ball! Two overs after almost throwing away her wicket against Shreyanka Patil, Meg Lanning succeeds in throwing away her wicket to Patil by trying to hit the ball to the ropes. In the process, she top edges it to deep mid wicket, where Radha Yadav dives forwards to take a catch. This time, Lanning is not hanging around with a review.

Meg Lanning c Yadav b Patil 14 (21b 1x4 0x6) SR: 66.66

There are four balls of bliss for UP, with a four from Navghire and a six from Phoebe Litchfield.

But then, Phoebe Litchfield goes ahead and throws her wicket too! UP Warriorz are imploding!

Phoebe Litchfield c Mandhana b Patil 20 (11b 3x4 1x6) SR: 181.81

UP Warriorz are 50/3 after eight overs

MEG LANNING SURVIVES!!!!

Lanning hits the second ball from Shreyanka Patil to Arundhati Reddy at square leg. The RCB fielders are celebrating their second wicket. Shreyanka is celebrating. But Lanning refers it immediately. And replays show that the ball was grassed for a brief second. What a reprieve.

And UP Warriorz hit two more boundaries in that over, to score 10 runs off the final over before powerplay ends. The first one was a risky shot from Lanning that was almost pouched, The second one was a smooth sweep shot from Phoebe Litchfield, who is looking in form today.

After six overs, UP Warriorz are 36/1

Harleen Deol departs for 11!

Lauren Bell, who has been handed the ball for the third consecutive over, gives RCB a breakthrough. She manages to get a top edge from Harleen Deol, who was hitting to the leg side, but the ball flew to Smriti Mandhana at mid off, who takes a dolly.

Harleen Deol c Mandhana b Bell 11 (14b 2x4 0x6) SR: 78.57

But if RCB thought bell could get one more wicket in that over with a newcomer at the crease, they should have remembered that Phoebe Litchfield is out in the middle. She was instrumental in the previous game for UP after carrying on her form from the Cricket World Cup a couple of months ago.

She tonks her second ball from Bell over the infield on the off-side for a boundary. A shot of a batter in form.

After five overs, UP Warriorz are 26/1

So Harleen Deol cuts Lauren Bell for a boundary on the third ball of the bowler's second over. And bell responds by flummoxing Deol twice, first with a ball that snuck in between the bat and body and then with a ball that moved away from the blade of the bat with such a vicious sway that even the RCB keeper was left wrong footed.

After three overs, UP Warriorz are 13/0

UP Warriorz captain Meg Lanning says -- and not surprisingly -- that she would have chased as well if she had won the toss today. But she quickly adds: "We have seen in this tournament, teams batting first have won as well."

She says that UP need to bat well. Lanning says that her side batted very well in the previous game as well to fortify for a great chase. She sighs that the team did a lot of good things with the ball, but unfortunately they could not take many wickets of the opposition. They are looking to rectify that tonight.

RCB captain Smriti Mandhana, speaking after winning the toss, says that the dew factor led to her picking to field first. She points out how this approach worked in the first game for them. She also adds that the Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium has been a chasing paradise, and any total can be chased down here. "Nadine (de Klerk) got us through in the last match, and we are looking forward to new match-winners every game."

Former India cricketer Anjum Chopra talks about the match-up between Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz game.

"The idea that Smriti Mandhana has issues against off-spin is a thing of the past. Over the last year, she has worked hard on that. She has gained strength and now hits the ball down the ground, not just square. So, while Deepti Sharma has a better record of dismissing her, Smriti now knows how to go straight. The shots I've seen from her are very exciting. RCB started the tournament with a win and will want to keep that momentum. UP Warriorz know they need to start winning, but it won't be easy against a successful team like RCB. But who wants an easy contest? We are getting spoiled with 400-plus runs in matches. We are just setting a benchmark of 185-plus. Please achieve it," said Chopra

Today's game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz will also see a clash between two game-winners in the form of Nadine de Klerk and Phoebe Litchfield.

"We all would love to see another masterclass from Nadine de Klerk. She plays with such smartness and clarity. She knows exactly when to target an over. For UP Warriorz, we saw the best of Phoebe Litchfield last game against Gujarat Giants. Her sweeps and reverse laps cover the whole ground, and she has really matured. Both teams have match-winners all through. The question for RCB is their batting depth. Their top order, especially Smriti Mandhana, will have to do the job. Whether setting a total or chasing, she needs to take responsibility, so that someone like Nadine de Klerk can just be the icing on the cake," Katie Martin said on JioHotstar

Speaking about the Royal Challenger Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz encounter, Katie Martin said in JioHotstar: "The first game for UP Warriorz of this season was about them coming together as a team. Meg Lanning is a new captain there, figuring out her resources and how to use them. I think we might see different bowling roles in the powerplay. We only saw one over from some bowlers, so that could change. But I still think UP are one of the best teams, maybe the best, because of all the match-winners they have. I expect them to come out strong against RCB, who will be confident. Nadine de Klerk will be so excited she'd want to take this ground with her. We saw her finish a game, but also play smart cricket for longer periods. It is going to be a cracking match."

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