A sensational 40-ball 85 from opener and Player of the Match Grace Harris powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a commanding nine-wicket victory over UP Warriorz in Match 5 of the Women's Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. This dominant performance saw RCB chase down their target with a massive 47 balls remaining, marking their largest WPL win by balls remaining.

RCB’s dominance was set up by a disciplined bowling performance after UP Warriorz were put in to bat. Nadine de Klerk and Shreyanka Patil were the stand-out performers, picking up two wickets apiece as UPW were restricted to 143/5.

Chasing 144, RCB got off to a fiery start with Harris and captain Smriti Mandhana finding the gaps effortlessly. Harris went berserk in the sixth over, smashing Deandra Dottin for 32 runs to bring up her half-century in just 22 balls and power RCB to 78/0 at the end of the powerplay. The over was the joint-most expensive in TATA WPL history, matching Sophie Devine’s effort from Match 4 the previous night.

Harris continued her onslaught while Mandhana played the perfect supporting role. The UPW bowlers had no answers to the dynamic opening pair, who stitched together a magnificent 137-run stand in just 70 balls. Harris was eventually dismissed for a blistering 85 off 40 deliveries, while Mandhana remained unbeaten on 47* (32) as RCB cruised to victory and registered their second consecutive win.

Earlier, UP Warriorz tried a new opening combination, with Harleen Deol partnering captain Meg Lanning. The move did not pay dividends as Deol was dismissed early by Lauren Bell, with Mandhana taking a sharp catch at mid-off. RCB’s bowlers maintained tight lines with the new ball, creating consistent pressure.

Phoebe Litchfield joined Lanning, who survived a close chance in the sixth over, but UPW could only manage 36/1 in the powerplay. Lanning’s luck soon ran out as she was dismissed for 14, courtesy of a brilliant low-diving catch by Radha Yadav off Shreyanka Patil.

Litchfield attempted a counter-attack, including a switch-hit six off Shreyanka, but was dismissed two balls later. Nadine de Klerk then struck twice in her first over, removing Kiran Navgire and Shweta Sehrawat to put UPW on the back foot at 56/5 after 10 overs.

Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin staged a strong recovery, rotating the strike well and finding boundaries at regular intervals. Dottin cleared the ropes on a few occasions as the duo stitched an unbeaten 93-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Deepti finished on 45*(35) while Dottin remained unbeaten on 40*(37), helping UPW reach 143/5.

However, the total proved no match for RCB’s rampant batting display, as Harris and Mandhana sealed a dominant win in emphatic fashion.