Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women face UP Warriorz Women in the fifth match of WPL 2026 at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Monday, January 12. RCB kicked off their season with a wild last-ball win over defending champs Mumbai Indians, sneaking home by three wickets on the back of Nadine de Klerk’s heroics. UP Warriorz, on the other hand, came up 10 runs short chasing a massive 208 against Gujarat Giants, even though Phoebe Litchfield smashed a brilliant 78 off just 40 balls. Both teams want to get on a roll early, so there’s a lot riding on this one.
You can’t talk about RCB’s opener without raving about Nadine de Klerk. She did it all, took 4 for 26 with the ball, then cracked an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, including a jaw-dropping 20 runs off the last four balls (6, 4, 6, 4) to finish the chase. Lauren Bell was ice-cold up top too, swinging it around for a miserly 4-1-14-1 and tying down Mumbai’s batters. For the Warriorz, Litchfield’s 78 was the fifth highest in their WPL history; she hammered 8 fours and 5 sixes, while skipper Meg Lanning chipped in with 30 off 27. That game also smashed the record for most sixes in a women’s T20: 21 in total. Not exactly a quiet night.
RCB Women vs UP Warriorz Women Match Preview
RCB’s win over Mumbai was anything but straightforward. De Klerk’s four wickets helped restrict MI to 154/6, but Bengaluru’s chase fell apart early; they slumped to 65/5 in no time. De Klerk kept her cool, built a steady 52-run stand with Arundhati Reddy (who made a gritty 20 from 25), and then finished things off herself with a whirlwind final over. Smriti Mandhana (18) and Grace Harris (25) got RCB off to a flier, but both fell quickly, and the middle order still looks shaky. Still, de Klerk’s form gives the team a major boost.
As for UP Warriorz, they showed plenty of fight in their opening loss. Chasing 208, they lost Kiran Navgire early, but Lanning and Litchfield put together a solid 70-run partnership to steady things. Then it all unraveled; they lost three wickets in four balls (Lanning, Harleen Deol for a duck, Deepti Sharma for 1), and the chase never really recovered. Litchfield kept swinging, and Sehrawat added 25, but it always felt just out of reach. Asha Sobhana swung late with a rapid 27* off 10, but by then, the game was gone. Sophie Ecclestone led the bowling with 2 for 32.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women vs UP Warriorz Women, WPL Match 5 |
| Date | Monday, 12th January, 2026 |
| Time | 7:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM GMT |
| Venue | Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai |
| Tournament | Women’s Premier League 2026 (Season 4) |
Pitch Report
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Pitch Type | Batting paradise with a hard, flat surface and reliable bounce |
| Average Score | 160-180 runs (high-scoring venue) |
| Favours | Batters; short boundaries and lightning-fast outfield benefit stroke-makers |
| Surface | Red soil provides some early swing for pacers with a new ball |
| Key Factor | Evening dew typically arrives in the second innings, making chasing easier |
| Boundaries | Short square boundaries; six-hitting friendly |
| Toss | Teams batting second have an advantage due to the dew factor |
Weather Report
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 19-32°C |
| Humidity | 50-60% |
| Wind Speed | Light breeze |
| Rain Chance | No rain expected; clear skies |
| Conditions | Perfect evening conditions for cricket |
Toss Prediction
DY Patil Stadium is a dream for batters, with short boundaries, quick outfield, and plenty of runs. Out of 11 WPL games here, only three have gone to teams batting first. Dew becomes a major factor in the second innings, making chasing much easier. Don’t be surprised if both captains want to bowl first. Whoever wins the toss will almost certainly put the other team in and look to chase.
Injury Updates
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: Ellyse Perry has withdrawn from WPL 2026 due to personal reasons and has been replaced by Sayali Satghare. The core squad is otherwise fit
UP Warriorz Women: No major injury concerns reported.
Dream11 Team for RCB Women vs UP Warriorz Women
RCB Women vs UP Warriorz Women Head-to-Head
Head-to-head, it’s dead even between RCB and UP Warriorz at 3-3 from six matches. But UPW has a slight edge lately, with wins in their last two meetings, including a nerve-wracking Super Over in the 2025 season. At DY Patil, though, RCB took the spoils in their only previous clash, winning by five wickets back in 2023.
Last five matches
- UPW Women won by 12 runs 08-Mar-2025
- Match tied (UPW Women won the Super Over) 24-Feb-2025
- RCB Women won by 23 runs 04-Mar-2024
- RCB Women won by 2 runs 24-Feb-2024
- RCB Women won by 5 wickets (with 12 balls remaining) 15-Mar-2023
Suggested Reads:
Top Picks For The Match
| Player | Reason |
|---|---|
| Nadine de Klerk (Captain) | 4/26 and 63* off 44 in opener; MVP performance; World Cup form continues; match-winner with bat and ball |
| Phoebe Litchfield (Vice Captain) | 78 off 40 balls vs GG (8×4, 5×6); 5th-highest individual score in UPW history; in sensational touch |
| Smriti Mandhana | RCB captain; India’s ODI World Cup winner; 763 T20I runs in 2024; key to RCB’s batting |
| Sophie Ecclestone | World No.1 T20I bowler; 2/32 vs GG; left-arm spin creates problems on this surface |
| Lauren Bell | 4-1-14-1 vs MI; 19 dot balls in spell including maiden; suffocated MI’s top order with swing |
| Meg Lanning | UPW captain; second-highest run-scorer in WPL history (982 runs); scored 30 vs GG |
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