In an exhibition of brute power-hitting that flattened the UP Warriorz, Grace Harris propelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a nine-wicket victory at the D.Y. Patil Stadium. Chasing a modest 144, RCB’s win was never in doubt once Harris began a powerplay assault that rewrote the WPL record books, securing the team’s second consecutive win and propelling them to the top of the 2026 table.
The defining moment of the match arrived in the final over of the powerplay. Facing her former team, Harris launched an unprecedented attack on Deandra Dottin, plundering 32 runs in a single over. The sequence; which included three towering sixes and three fours, equalled the record for the most expensive over in WPL history, set just 24 hours earlier by Sophie Devine.
Harris brought up her half-century in just 22 balls, becoming only the fourth player in the league’s history to reach a fifty within the powerplay. By the time the field restrictions eased, RCB sat at 78/0, effectively ending the contest as a spectacle.
"I had the best seat in the house to watch Grace whack the balls," Mandhana said after the match. "All I needed to do was take a single. When she gets going, you just don't know where to bowl to her."
Mandhana played the perfect supporting role, striking 47 off 32 balls. Together, the duo stitched a 137-run opening partnership; the highest stand for any wicket in RCB’s history.
RCB’s Fastest 100: The team reached triple figures in just 7.5 overs, the second-fastest team hundred in the WPL.
NRR Boost: Chasing down 144 in 12.1 overs provided a massive boost to RCB's Net Run Rate (now +1.964), moving them ahead of Gujarat Giants in the standings.
Earlier in the evening, the Warriorz suffered a collapse, plummeting from 36/1 to 50/5 in the space of just eight balls. Nadine de Klerk continued her fine form with 2/28, while Shreyanka Patil, 2/50 triggered the slide by removing Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield in the same over.
A desperate rescue act by Deepti Sharma 45* and Deandra Dottin 40* saved the Warriorz from complete embarrassment. Their unbroken 93-run partnership for the sixth wicket set a new record for recovery but ultimately proved insufficient against the Harris-Mandhana juggernaut.
| Record Category | Name / Team | Statistic |
|---|---|---|
| Most Expensive Over | Deandra Dottin (UPW) | 32 runs (Joint Record) |
| Fastest 50 (Season) | Grace Harris (RCB) | 22 balls |
| Opening Partnership | Harris & Mandhana | 137 runs (RCB Record) |
| Powerplay Score | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 78/0 (3rd best in WPL) |
| Winning Margin | RCB vs UPW | 9 Wickets |
While RCB faced criticism for their experimental combinations in the first match, their decision to promote Harris to open has proven to be a tactical masterstroke. By pairing Mandhana’s classical timing with Harris’s brute force, RCB has created an intimidating force at the top of the order that looks impossible to contain on the flat Navi Mumbai surfaces.