Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their TATA WPL 2026 campaign with a famous three-wicket victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians in a last-ball thriller at the season opener in Navi Mumbai. Making her RCB debut, Nadine de Klerk produced a match-winning all-round performance to steer the 2024 champions home in dramatic fashion.

De Klerk starred with both bat and ball, first leading RCB’s bowling effort with an excellent spell of 4/26 before anchoring a tense chase with an unbeaten 63 off 44 deliveries. Her decisive contributions at either end proved to be the difference on the night, earning her the Player of the Match honours.

Chasing 155, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a brisk start as Grace Harris opened the innings with a boundary off the first ball, while captain Smriti Mandhana also found early momentum in the powerplay. However, Mumbai Indians struck back smartly. Shabnim Ismail removed Mandhana for 18 before Natalie Sciver-Brunt dismissed the dangerous Harris for 25 off 12, leaving RCB at 54/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Richa Ghosh was reprieved first ball when Saika Ishaque spilled a chance, but MI capitalised soon after with a flurry of wickets. Amelia Kerr announced her arrival in style, striking twice in the same over to dismiss Radha Yadav (1) and Ghosh (6), reducing RCB to 75/5 at the halfway mark.

Nadine de Klerk, on debut for RCB, then combined with Arundhati Reddy to steady the chase. De Klerk used her feet effectively against the spinners, while Arundhati rotated the strike as the pair added a crucial 50-run stand. The partnership was broken in the 16th over when Nicola Carey claimed her maiden TATA WPL wicket by removing Arundhati for a vital 20, before striking again off the final ball to dismiss Shreyanka Patil.

What followed was pure drama. De Klerk survived multiple reprieves in a chaotic 19th over, being dropped twice and escaping a run-out chance as the pressure mounted. Prema Rawat ended the over with a boundary, leaving RCB needing 18 from the final six balls. With de Klerk on strike, Sciver-Brunt began with two dot balls, but the RCB all-rounder responded in emphatic fashion, smashing a six and a four to bring up her maiden TATA WPL fifty. Riding the momentum, she struck the final two deliveries for six and four to seal a famous three-wicket victory, remaining unbeaten on 63 off 44 balls, an innings studded with seven fours and two sixes.

Asked to bat first, Mumbai Indians were put under immediate pressure as Lauren Bell began proceedings with a superb maiden over. Bell, supported well by the RCB new-ball bowlers, maintained disciplined lines and lengths, creating early inroads. The pressure told when Amelia Kerr fell to Bell inside the powerplay, leaving MI at 34/1 in 6 overs.

MI’s troubles deepened in the following over as Natalie Sciver-Brunt, the TATA WPL’s all-time leading run-scorer, was smartly stumped by Richa Ghosh off Nadine de Klerk. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and teenager G. Kamalini then steadied the innings, but just as the partnership was building, Shreyanka Patil struck to remove Kamalini for a promising 32 off 28. Harmanpreet soon followed, edging De Klerk behind in her second spell.

Dropped twice, Sajeevan Sajana made RCB pay, combining with Nicola Carey for a vital counter-attack. The duo struck 14 off Radha Yadav in the 15th over to bring up MI’s 100 which shifted the momentum. This was an entertaining partnership where Sajana displayed her power-hitting abilities and Carey smartly kept the scoreboard ticking. Sajana struck a blistering 45(25) and Carey a smart 40(29) to notch up an important 82-run partnership that powered MI to a competitive 154. Nadine de Klerk was the pick of the bowlers for RCB who ended her spell with superb figures of 4/25.