In a crucial Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 match in Lucknow, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and chose to field first against UP Warriorz Women (UPW). RCB, desperate to snap a streak of four straight defeats at home, returned after a week’s rest for the final stretch of the league phase, hoping to keep their playoff dreams alive.
Mandhana revealed two lineup tweaks for RCB. Charlie Dean, stepping in as an injury replacement for Sophie Molineux, and S Meghana were given their first outings of the tournament. Dean replaced Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who struggled in her debut season with RCB, while Meghana took the spot of left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht. This shake-up hints at a fresh opening pair of Mandhana and Meghana, aiming for a swift chase to boost their net run rate—a key factor they can still influence.
On the other side, UPW, already eliminated from playoff contention with only two victories in seven matches, made their adjustments. Allrounder Poonam Khemnar and left-arm pacer Anjali Sarvani earned their first appearances, replacing Vrinda Dinesh and Gouher Sultana.
UPW’s last triumph over RCB came on February 24 in Bengaluru, clinched via the tournament’s inaugural Super Over. Since that high, their campaign has faltered, with back-to-back losses to Mumbai Indians and a defeat against Gujarat Giants sealing their fate. For RCB, this clash is a chance to rewrite the script and regain momentum.
RCB’s Playoff Hopes Hang in the Balance
All eyes are on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as they fight to keep their Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 campaign alive. Sitting fourth in the standings, the defending champions face a do-or-die scenario: they must win both of their remaining matches—starting with this clash against the last-placed UP Warriorz—and then hope other results fall in their favour to sneak into the playoffs.
A single slip-up in either game could spell the end of their title defence. For UP Warriorz, already eliminated from contention after losing to Gujarat Giants on Friday, the focus shifts to ending a disappointing season on a positive note.
RCB’s season has been a rollercoaster. After two convincing wins, they’ve stumbled through four consecutive losses, exposing cracks in their setup. The batting has leaned heavily on Ellyse Perry’s brilliance while captain Smriti Mandhana grapples with a prolonged dip in form. Beyond Perry, the lineup has been shaky and lacking consistency.
On the bowling front, Renuka Singh, Kim Garth, and Georgia Wareham have shouldered the load, combining for 25 wickets, but the lack of reliable fourth and fifth bowling options has hurt. Can a six-day break recharge their spirits and sharpen their execution?
UP Warriorz Women – Out of League
UP Warriorz, meanwhile, have floundered across the board. Their batting order has been in constant flux, with little payoff. Chinelle Henry’s late-order fireworks haven’t been harnessed higher up to fix a fragile middle order. At the same time, captain Deepti Sharma has struggled to lead by example—her five wickets in seven games come at a costly economy rate of 8.11. Only Sophie Ecclestone has consistently posed a threat with the ball, standing out in an otherwise lacklustre attack.
The last encounter between these teams delivered high drama, culminating in a thrilling Super Over that UP Warriorz Women edged. With RCB’s season on the line and Warriorz playing for pride, expect another intense battle as both sides look to leave their mark.
Stats of the Match
| Section | Details | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|
| In the Spotlight | Ellyse Perry (RCB) | |
| The in-form batter for RCB this season. Has scored 295 runs in 6 matches with a strike rate of 149.74. | Perry has four half-centuries, the most in WPL 2025. | |
| Four half-centuries highlight her form, which is crucial as Mandhana and Wyatt-Hodge struggle at the top. | Perry’s strike rate against Warriorz is 143.42, her highest against any team in WPL. | |
| Lucknow has seen three top-order fifties in two matches—Perry must deliver again with RCB’s season on the line. | ||
| Sophie Ecclestone (UPW) | ||
| They stunned Chinnaswamy with all-around heroics against RCB two weeks ago. Only Warriorz bowler to bowl a full 4 overs in all 7 matches. | Has taken 6 wickets at an economy rate of 6.96. | |
| Additional Key Stats | Warriorz has lost 33 wickets in the middle overs (7–16), the most by any team in WPL 2025. | |
| Chinelle Henry has the highest strike rate in WPL 2025 at 211.76. |
UP Warriorz Women (WPL) vs Royal Challengers Match Scorecard
UPW Women won by 12 runs
UP Warriorz Women (20 ovs maximum)
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grace Harris
|
run out (Mandhana/Wareham) | 39 | 22 | 33 | 7 | 1 | 177.27 | ||
|
Georgia Voll
|
not out | 99 | 56 | 94 | 17 | 1 | 176.78 | ||
|
Kiran Navgire
|
c Perry b Wareham | 46 | 16 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 287.50 | ||
|
Chinelle Henry
|
c Mandhana b Wareham | 19 | 15 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 126.66 | ||
|
Sophie Ecclestone
|
b Dean | 13 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 130.00 | ||
|
Deepti Sharma (c)
|
run out (Perry/†Ghosh) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
| Extras | (lb 3, w 5) | 8 | |||||||
| Total |
20 Ov (RR: 11.25)
|
225/5 | |||||||
|
Did not bat: Shweta Sehrawat,
Poonam Khemnar,
Uma Chetry †,
Kranti Goud,
Anjali Sarvani
|
|||||||||
|
Fall of wickets: 1-77 (Grace Harris, 7.1 ov), 2-148 (Kiran Navgire, 12.2 ov), 3-191 (Chinelle Henry, 16.3 ov), 4-223 (Sophie Ecclestone, 19.4 ov), 5-225 (Deepti Sharma, 19.6 ov)
|
|||||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kim Garth
|
4 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 10.50 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Renuka Singh
|
3 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 14.00 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
|
Charlie Dean
|
4 | 0 | 47 | 1 | 11.75 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Ellyse Perry
|
4 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 8.75 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
|
Georgia Wareham
|
4 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 10.75 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
|
Sneh Rana
|
1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13.00 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
UP Warriorz Women innings Analysis
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Powerplay 1 | Overs 0.1 – 6.0 (Mandatory – 67 runs, 0 wickets) |
| 50 Runs Milestone | UP Warriorz Women: 50 runs in 4.5 overs (29 balls), Extras 1 |
| 1st Wicket Partnership | 50 runs in 29 balls (GM Harris 28, G Voll 24, Ex 1) |
| Strategic Timeout 1 | UP Warriorz Women – 67/0 in 6.0 overs (GM Harris 30, G Voll 34) |
| 100 Runs Milestone | UP Warriorz Women: 100 runs in 9.3 overs (57 balls), Extras 3 |
| G Voll Milestone | 50 off 31 balls (9 x 4, 1 x 6) |
| 2nd Wicket Partnership | 50 runs in 24 balls (G Voll 23, KP Navgire 28, Ex 1) |
| 150 Runs Milestone | UP Warriorz Women: 150 runs in 12.5 overs (77 balls), Extras 4 |
| Strategic Timeout 2 | UP Warriorz Women – 188/2 in 16.0 overs (G Voll 79, CA Henry 19) |
| 200 Runs Milestone & Innings Break | UP Warriorz Women: 200 runs in 16.6 overs (102 balls), Extras 8<br>Innings Break: 225/5 in 20.0 overs (G Voll 99) |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (T: 226 runs from 20 ovs)
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sabbhineni Meghana
|
c Voll b Ecclestone | 27 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 225.00 | ||
|
Smriti Mandhana (c)
|
c Voll b Henry | 4 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
|
Ellyse Perry
|
b Anjali Sarvani | 28 | 15 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 186.66 | ||
|
Raghvi Bist
|
c †Chetry b Henry | 14 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 116.66 | ||
|
Richa Ghosh †
|
c Henry b Sharma | 69 | 33 | 44 | 6 | 5 | 209.09 | ||
|
Kanika Ahuja
|
b Sharma | 8 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 72.72 | ||
|
Georgia Wareham
|
c sub (A Goel) b Ecclestone | 17 | 15 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 113.33 | ||
|
Charlie Dean
|
c Navgire b Ecclestone | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 180.00 | ||
|
Kim Garth
|
not out | 3 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 | ||
|
Sneh Rana
|
c Khemnar b Sharma | 26 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 433.33 | ||
|
Renuka Singh
|
run out (Sehrawat/Sharma/Voll) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
| Extras | (nb 1, w 6) | 7 | |||||||
| Total |
19.3 Ov (RR: 10.92)
|
213 | |||||||
|
Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Smriti Mandhana, 2.1 ov), 2-43 (Sabbhineni Meghana, 3.3 ov), 3-76 (Ellyse Perry, 6.5 ov), 4-80 (Raghvi Bist, 7.3 ov), 5-107 (Kanika Ahuja, 10.6 ov), 6-171 (Richa Ghosh, 16.3 ov), 7-182 (Charlie Dean, 17.4 ov), 8-183 (Georgia Wareham, 17.6 ov), 9-211 (Sneh Rana, 18.6 ov), 10-213 (Renuka Singh, 19.3 ov)
|
|||||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chinelle Henry
|
4 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 9.75 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Grace Harris
|
1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 22.00 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
|
Sophie Ecclestone
|
4 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 6.25 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Kranti Goud
|
3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 11.66 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
|
Anjali Sarvani
|
3 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 13.33 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
|
Deepti Sharma
|
4 | 0 | 50 | 3 | 12.50 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
|
Georgia Voll
|
0.3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women Innings Analysis
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Powerplay 1 | Overs 0.1 – 6.0 (Mandatory – 70 runs, 2 wickets) |
| 50 Runs Milestone | Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: 50 runs in 4.2 overs (26 balls), Extras 0 |
| Strategic Timeout 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women – 70/2 in 6.0 overs (EA Perry 23, Raghvi Bist 11) |
| 100 Runs Milestone | Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: 100 runs in 9.2 overs (56 balls), Extras 5 |
| RM Ghosh Milestone | 50 off 25 balls (4 x 4, 4 x 6) |
| 150 Runs Milestone | Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: 150 runs in 14.3 overs (87 balls), Extras 6 |
| 6th Wicket Partnership | 50 runs in 26 balls (RM Ghosh 40, G Wareham 12, Ex 1) |
| Strategic Timeout 2 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women – 169/5 in 16.0 overs (RM Ghosh 68, G Wareham 14) |
| 200 Runs Milestone | Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: 200 runs in 18.4 overs (112 balls), Extras 6 |
Match Analysis: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women vs. UP Warriorz Women, WPL 2025
UP Warriorz posted a formidable 225/5, powered by Georgia Voll’s unbeaten 99 off 56 balls (17×4, 1×6). Her knock, alongside Grace Harris’s rapid 39 off 22 and Kiran Navgire’s explosive 46 off 16 (5×6), set the tone. The Powerplay yielded 67/0, and a 71-run second-wicket stand between Voll and Navgire in just 24 balls crushed RCB’s bowling.
Georgia Wareham (2/43) and Charlie Dean (1/47) managed breakthroughs. Still, RCB’s bowlers, including Kim Garth (0/42) and Renuka Singh (0/42), struggled with an economy above 10, leaving RCB with a steep chase in a must-win game.
RCB’s Top Order Falters Despite Perry’s Spark
Chasing 226, RCB’s innings started shakily. Smriti Mandhana (4 off 4) fell early, and Sabbhineni Meghana’s brisk 27 off 12 couldn’t sustain momentum. Ellyse Perry’s 28 off 15 (6×4) hinted at a fightback, but her dismissal in the seventh over left RCB at 80/4. The top order’s collapse—aggravated by Mandhana’s lean patch and Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s earlier struggles—put immense pressure on the middle order.
Chinelle Henry (2/39) and Anjali Sarvani (1/40) exploited RCB’s fragility, exposing their over-reliance on Perry, who couldn’t replicate her season’s 295-run form in this crunch moment.
Richa Ghosh almost scripted a miracle for RCB with a blistering 69 off 33 (6×4, 5×6), including a 50 off 25 balls. Her 64-run sixth-wicket stand with Georgia Wareham (17 off 15) revived hopes, pushing RCB to 171/5 by the 16th over. Sneh Rana’s late cameo (26 off 6, 3×6) brought them within 15 runs with seven balls left.
However, Deepti Sharma (3/50) and Sophie Ecclestone (3/25) struck decisively, dismissing Ghosh and Rana quickly. Despite crossing 200 in 18.4 overs, RCB’s chase fell apart, ending at 213 in 19.3 overs.
Playoff Dreams Fade as RCB’s Inconsistencies Persist
RCB’s 12-run defeat sealed their playoff fate, needing victories in both remaining games and favorable results elsewhere. UP Warriorz, already out of contention, played spoiler with pride, repeating their Super Over win over RCB earlier in the season. RCB’s bowling lacked depth beyond Wareham, Singh, and Garth (25 wickets combined).
While their batting remained Perry-centric, with Mandhana’s form woes and an inconsistent lineup proving costly. For UPW, Voll’s near-century and Ecclestone’s all-around impact (6 wickets in 7 games, 6.96 economy) highlighted individual brilliance in a faltering campaign, ending RCB’s title defence hopes.
