Bengaluru, Jan 10 : A sensational late assault from Nadine de Klerk helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pull off a dramatic three-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening match of the 2026 Women’s Premier League at the DY Patil Stadium on Friday.
After claiming 4 for 26 to restrict MI to 154 for 6, the seam-bowling all-rounder produced a match winning unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, smashing 20 runs off the final four deliveries to seal victory on the last ball.
Walking in at 63 for 4, de Klerk held her nerve under pressure and turned the contest on its head with fearless strokeplay. Given three reprieves in the penultimate over, she made MI pay dearly as RCB began their campaign with a thrilling win.
RCB recover after brisk start
RCB’s chase started briskly, with Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana finding boundaries early to race to 40 without loss in three overs. However, MI struck back as Shabnim Ismail removed Mandhana for 18, while Nat Sciver-Brunt dismissed Harris soon after.
Wickets continued to fall as Dayalan Hemalatha was trapped lbw and Radha Yadav was bowled by a sharp googly from Amelia Kerr. Kerr then became the WPL’s leading wicket taker by luring Richa Ghosh into a lofted shot that was safely caught at long-off.
With RCB under pressure, de Klerk took charge, launching a calculated counterattack that included clean strikes against Saika Ishaque and Nicola Carey. Despite MI dropping her three times in the 19th over, de Klerk punished every mistake.
She brought up her fifty with a towering slog-sweep for six and sealed the match in dramatic fashion by lifting a missed yorker from Sciver-Brunt over her head for another maximum, stunning the defending champions.
Sajana’s fightback lifts MI past 150
Earlier, Sajeevan Sajana top-scored for MI with a counter-attacking 45 off 25 balls, capitalising on two early reprieves. On a tacky surface, RCB bowlers, led by Lauren Bell and de Klerk, reduced MI to 67 for 4 midway through the innings.
Bell delivered an impressive opening spell, bowling a maiden and dismissing Amelia Kerr cheaply. MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and G Kamalini attempted to steady the innings, but wickets at regular intervals kept the pressure on.
A crucial 82-run partnership between Sajana and Nicola Carey (40) lifted MI beyond the 150-mark. However, de Klerk returned in the final over to dismiss both batters, ensuring MI finished on a modest total.
Despite the late surge, MI’s 154 proved insufficient as de Klerk’s all round brilliance guided RCB to a memorable opening night victory.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 154/6 in 20 overs (Sajeevan Sajana 45, Nicola Carey 40; Nadine de Klerk 4-26, Lauren Bell 1-14)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 157/7 in 20 overs (Nadine de Klerk 63*; Amelia Kerr 2-13)
RCB won by three wickets