Navi Mumbai, Jan 9 (IANS) Thanks to a stunning late assault by Nadine de Klerk, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pulled off a dramatic three-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening match of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Friday.

After picking 4-26 and helping RCB keep MI to 154/6, the seam-bowling all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, including 20 runs off the final four deliveries – two fours and as many sixes — to steer RCB home on the last ball.

Coming in at 63/4, a calm and composed Nadine held her nerve and carried her form from the recent World Cup into a high-class knock that turned the game on its head. Her nerveless hitting under pressure, along with being given three reprieves in the 19th over, ensured RCB began the season with a thrilling victory and set the tone for a tournament that promises more intensity and drama.

RCB’s chase began with a bang as Grace Harris pulled Nat Sciver-Brunt to the fence on the first ball, before Smriti Mandhana picked a boundary. After the duo took four each off Shabnim Ismail, Grace continued to attack by picking a six and a four off Nicola Carey, while Mandhana swivelled her for successive boundaries, as RCB reached 40/0 in three overs.

But Shabnim pulled things with some tight bowling and eventually struck in her second over when Mandhana miscued a drive and was caught at for 18, while Grace holed out to long-on off Nat. RCB continued to lose wickets as Dayalan Hemalatha shuffled across to flick off Amanjot Kaur, but missed a straight delivery and was trapped lbw, while Radha Yadav was beaten comprehensively by a ripping googly from Amelia Kerr that crashed into the stumps.

Two balls later, Amelia became WPL’s leading wicket-taker when she tempted Richa Ghosh to play an ambitious lofted drive, and long-off took a fine leaping catch. Arundhati Reddy, after cracking a cut off Amanjot Kaur, survived an lbw chance off Amelia as replays showed the ball going over stumps.

Nadine’s show began when she lofted Nat over long-off for four, before thumping and creaming Saika Ishaque for successive boundaries. She followed it up by hammering a boundary down the ground off Nicola, before the all-rounder broke the 52-run stand by having Arundhati hole out to deep mid-wicket and then castled Shreyanka Patil.

The pressure was evident when Nat dropped Nadine’s catch off Shabnim at the start of the 19th over. To add salt to the wound, Nadine hammered a boundary down the ground. More drama happened when Nadine was dropped by Amelia at deep mid-wicket, and Kamalini fumbled in a run-out chance when her gloves dislodged the stumps.

After 11 runs came off the 19th over, Nadine kept RCB alive by lofting Nat over long-off for six, before pulling her for four. She brought up her fifty with a mighty slog over mid-wicket fence for six, before sealing a dramatic win for RCB by powering a missed yorker from Nat over her head for six to ensure the 2024 champions pulled off a heist and left the defending champions stunned.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians 154/6 in 20 overs (Sajeevan Sajana 45, Nicola Carey 40; Nadine de Klerk 4-26, Lauren Bell 1-14) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 157/7 in 20 overs (Nadine de Klerk 63 not out, Grace Harris 25; Amelia Kerr 2-13, Nicola Carey 2-35) by three wickets

–IANS

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