Royal Challengers Bengaluru edged past Mumbai Indians by three wickets in the WPL 2026 opener, chasing 155 off the final ball. Nadine de Klerk starred with a brilliant all-round show, taking 4/26 and smashing an unbeaten 63 to seal a thrilling win.
The opening match of the Women’s Premier League 2026 turned out to be a thriller as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) kicked off their campaign with a nail-biting three-wicket win over the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, at the Kottambi Stadium in Vadodara on Friday, January 9.
With a 155-run target set by the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased it down on the final ball of the match, with Nadine de Klerk playing a scintillating innings of 63 off 44 balls, including seven fours and two sixes, at a strike rate of 143.18, helping the 2024 winners to began their quest for the second title on a winning note.
Earlier, Nadine de Klerk led the RCB bowling attack with figures of 4/26 at an economy rate of 6.50 in her spell of four overs to restrict the Mumbai Indians to 154/6, despite an 82-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Sanjana Sajeevan (45) and Nicola Carey (40).
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How Did Nadine de Klerk Pull off Thriller?
Chasing a 155-run target, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a shaky start to their innings with dismissals of their skipper, Smriti Mandhana (18), Grace Harris (25), Dayalan Hemalatha (7), Richa Ghosh (6), and Radha Yadav (1), and they were reduced to 65/5 in 7.4 overs, leaving in a position of reeling.
However, a crucial 52-run stand for the sixth wicket between Arundhati Reddy (20) and Nadine de Klerk revived RCB’s hopes of chasing down the target before the latter’s dismissal at 117/6. Thereafter, Shreyanka Patil (1) had a short stay at the crease as she was dismissed at 121/7. Following Shreyanka’s dismissal, the responsibility fell on de Klerk to take RCB past the finishing line.
The South African all-rounder embraced the responsibility and steadied Bengaluru’s run chase until the equation came down to 18 runs off 6 balls. Given the equation, the momentum appeared firmly in the Mumbai Indians’ favour before Nadine de Klerk did the impossible. In the final over, de Klerk conceded two dot balls before smashing two fours and a six off Nat Sciver-Brunt, not only to complete her fifty, but also brought down the equation to just two runs needed off the final delivery.
De Klerk sealed the victory on the final ball by hitting a winning four, and the RCB dugout erupted in joy and celebration as they celebrated a memorable comeback win to start their WPL 2026 campaign on a dramatic high.
The WPL 2026 opener would have had the first Super Over of the season had Nat Sciver-Brunt managed to defend the final delivery, but de Klerk’s composure under pressure denied the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, that chance and ensured a thrilling finish in regulation play.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru must have lost hope when five wickets fell in 65 runs, but the turnaround through the partnership between Arundhati Reddy and Nadine de Klerk, fearless finishing by the South African all-rounder, turned the game on its head, sealing one of RCB’s most dramatic WPL wins.
Nadine de Klerk Earns Lavish Praise for her Knock
Nadine de Klerk’s match-winning performance for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL 2026 opener against the Mumbai Indians was lauded and praised by fans and cricket enthusiasts, who were amazed by her calm under pressure and ability to deliver when it mattered most in a high-stakes chase.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), RCB fans and cricket enthusiasts hailed the South African all-rounder for her clutch performance and all-round brilliance, while comparing her with another South African star, AB de Villiers, who too played for RCB and was renowned for producing match-winning knocks under pressure in RCB colours.
Nadine de Klerk was acquired by the RCB for 65 lakh at the WPL 2026 mega auction in November last year. Her acquisition was based on her performance in the Women’s World Cup in India, where he scored 208 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 52 and picked nine wickets in nine matches.
Meanwhile, RCB will return to action when they take on the Gujarat Titans in while the Mumbai Indians will look to make a comeback when the defending champions lock horns with UP Warriorz in Vadodara on Saturday, January 10.
