Tension grips the Women’s Premier League as UP Warriors confront a must-win battle against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In Vadodara’s 18th WPL 2026 fixture, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and chose to field, banking on their bowling attack on a batsman-friendly pitch.
Already secured in playoffs from an initial five-win streak, RCB has hit a rough patch with back-to-back losses. Mandhana remained upbeat: ‘Fielding first. Great wicket for runs, but we got it right early. Keeping it straightforward. In comes Pooja Vastrakar for Gautami Naik.’
For UP Warriors, fifth-placed with one victory in six, captain Meg Lanning’s words rang with desperation. ‘No room for error – we win or we’re out. Break helped us target improvements.’ Changes: Amy Jones in for Lichfield, Simran Sheikh for Navgire.
Bold moves like appointing Abhishek Nair coach and Lanning captain haven’t yielded results yet. Table toppers: Gujarat Giants (2nd, 4/7 wins), Mumbai (3rd, 3/7), Delhi (4th, 3/7).
Full lineups – UP: Lanning (capt), Sheikh, Jones (keeper), Deol, Tryon, Sharma, Sehrawat, Ecclestone, Sobhana Joy, Pandey, Gaud.
RCB: Harris, Mandhana (capt), Voll, Yadav, Ghosh (keeper), de Klerk, Vastrakar, Reddy, Satghare, Patil, Bell.
A win catapults UP back into contention; a loss ends dreams. RCB eyes top form ahead of knockouts.