Nadine de Klerk's unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, featuring two sixes and two fours in the final over, powered RCB Women to a thrilling 3-wicket win over MI Women in the WPL 2026 opener. Her earlier 4/26 restricted MI to 154/6 at DY Patil Stadium. A last-ball heist earned her Player of the Match.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women stunned Mumbai Indians Women by 3 wickets in a dramatic WPL 2026 opener at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Nadine de Klerk's unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, including two sixes and two fours in the final over, sealed victory chasing 155. Her 4/26 earlier restricted MI to 154/6, earning her Player of the Match.
Key Match Highlights
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MI posted 154/6 after RCB captain Smriti Mandhana opted to bowl.
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Amelia Kerr fell early to Lauren Bell's maiden over, followed by Nat Sciver-Brunt stumped off de Klerk.
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Gunalan Kamalini scored 32, Harmanpreet Kaur 20, before Sajeevan Sajana (45 off 25) and Nicola Carey (40) added 82 runs.
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De Klerk claimed 4/26, dismissing Sajana and Carey in the 19th over.
RCB's Chase Unfolds
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Chasing 155, RCB openers Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana (18) started brightly but collapsed to 137/7 needing 18 off the last over.
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Shabnim Ismail, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey, and Amelia Kerr took wickets for MI.
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De Klerk partnered Arundhati Reddy (20), survived drops, then exploded: six, four, six, four off Sciver-Brunt to finish 157/7.
Impact and Context
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This last-ball thriller marked RCB's strong WPL 2026 start against defending champions MI.
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De Klerk's all-round brilliance (63* batting, 4 wickets bowling) turned the game amid MI's fielding lapses.
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Fans witnessed high drama, with RCB's bowlers outperforming expectations.
Sources: NDTV Sports, Hindustan Times, ESPNcricinfo, Cricbuzz