RCB vs UPW, WPL 2026 Preview: De Klerk-Inspired Bengaluru Look To Carry Winning Momentum

WPL match 5: Royal Challengers Bengaluru kicked off their 2026 Women's Premier League campaign in style as they defeated defending champions Mumbai Indians by three wickets on the opening night of the season. Now, in their second outing of the tournament, RCB will look to keep up their winning ways when they take on UP Warriorz on Monday night.

Nadine de Klerk's all-round masterclass was the key to RCB's thrilling win. The South African first picked up four wickets as MI were restricted to 154/6 in 20 overs. The 25-year-old then played an unbeaten knock of 63 off 44 balls to steer RCB's chase.

De Klerk's half-century was vital, as at one stage the team was struggling at 65/6. She also showcased her ability to stay calm under pressure, hitting 6, 4, 6, 4 against an experienced Nat Sciver-Brunt to seal the match in her team's favour.

The Warriorz, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from the 10-run defeat at the hands of the Gujarat Giants in their first match of the season.

Their bowling was all over the place as they conceded 207 runs against the Giants. Even in defeat, there were some positives to take away, as Sophie Ecclestone kept her economy rate at 8.00 and picked up two wickets, when every other bowler conceded at more than eight. The Warriorz did reasonably well in the chase thanks to a blistering 78 off 40 balls by Phoebe Litchfield.

In this fixture, RCB will be looking to put up a better show with the bat and will be expecting the top order to contribute more runs. UPW, on the other hand, will be aiming for a good bowling performance.

Pitch:

If the first four matches of the season are anything to go by, then expect another high-scoring match.

WPL 2026: RCB vs UPW Playing XIs (Possible)

RCB: Smriti Mandhana (capt), Grace Harris, D Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith

UPW: Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning (C), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Deandra Dottin, Shweta Sehrawat (wk), Shikha Pandey, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Kranti Gaud

RCB v UPW Head to Head (last 5 matches)

RCB have won the last three of the five matches they have played against UPW. The Warriroz have managed to clinch the other two fixtures.

Form Guide (last five matches):

RCB: W-W-W-L-T

UPW: L-L-L-W-T

RCB vs UPW Live Telecast And Live Streaming Details

The match gets underway at 7.30 pm IST. The match will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and broadcast on the Starsports channel.