Nadine de Klerk Shines as RCB Secures Victory in WPL 2026 Opener Against MI

RCB Triumphs in WPL 2026 Opener

Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 9: In a thrilling start to the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their first victory against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday, thanks to Nadine de Klerk's impressive four-wicket haul and a crucial half-century.

De Klerk played a pivotal role, scoring 20 runs in the final over to guide her team to a 3-wicket win over the defending champions.

RCB began their chase of 155 runs with Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana at the crease. The pair quickly amassed 40 runs in just 3.4 overs before Mandhana was dismissed for 18 runs off 13 balls, which included four boundaries.

Nat Sciver-Brunt struck next, taking out Harris, who had contributed a brisk 25 runs off 12 balls. Following the loss of both openers, RCB faced a collapse, slipping from 47-2 to 65-5 within 10 overs.

Dayalan Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh, and Radha Yadav all fell for single-digit scores. Amelia Kerr dismissed Yadav and Ghosh, while Amanjot Kaur took down Hemalatha. Kerr's performance also made her the leading wicket-taker in WPL history, surpassing Hayley Matthews' record of 41 wickets.

De Klerk and Arundhati Reddy steadied the innings, with de Klerk aggressively targeting MI's bowlers while Reddy rotated the strike effectively. Reddy narrowly avoided an lbw decision against Kerr, which was overturned upon review.

The duo formed a vital 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket, achieving this milestone in the 16th over, with de Klerk leading the charge.

Nicola Carey ended their partnership by dismissing Reddy for 20 runs off 25 balls, with Kerr taking a spectacular catch near the boundary. This catch tied Kerr with Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues for the most outfield catches in WPL history. Carey struck again in the same over, removing Shreyanka Patil for just 1 run.

De Klerk, RCB's standout performer, reached her half-century by hitting Sciver-Brunt in the final over of the innings.

Earlier, MI had a challenging start but recovered thanks to an 82-run partnership between Sajeevan Sajana and Nicola Carey. Nadine de Klerk's exceptional bowling helped restrict MI to 154/6 in their 20 overs.

After MI struggled at 67/4, Sajana (45 off 25 balls) and Carey (40 off 29 balls) provided much-needed stability, thrilling the crowd at DY Patil Stadium. De Klerk's figures of 4/26 and Lauren Bell's 1/14 were instrumental in their bowling performance.

RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first, with Bell starting strong, making it difficult for MI's Amelia Kerr. Kamalini, a rising star from India's U19 T20 World Cup 2025 team, broke the initial pressure with two boundaries in the second over.

Bell and Reddy effectively contained MI's scoring, with Kerr struggling to find her rhythm. Kerr eventually fell for just 4 runs, caught by Reddy off Bell's bowling, leaving MI at 21/1 after five overs.

Kamalini continued to impress, scoring 25 runs and helping MI reach 34/1 by the end of the powerplay. However, de Klerk soon dismissed Sciver-Brunt, the WPL 2025 'Player of the Tournament', for just four runs.

MI's captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Kamalini attempted to stabilize the innings, but RCB struck again, removing Kamalini for 32 runs. De Klerk then dismissed Harmanpreet, leaving MI at 67/4 in the 11th over.

Carey and Sajana then built a crucial partnership, scoring 15 runs off Yadav's over and reaching the 100-run mark in 15 overs. Sajana's aggressive batting included a six and several boundaries, showcasing her talent.

Despite a strong partnership, Sajana was eventually dismissed for 45 runs, ending a significant 82-run stand. MI concluded their innings at 154/6, with Nadine also taking Carey's wicket for 40 runs.

De Klerk's exceptional bowling performance (4/26) and Bell's economical spell (1/14) were key to RCB's success.