Redemption proved to be a powerful motivator on Friday night as Nadine de Klerk powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a three-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in the 2026 Women’s Premier League season opener. Playing at the same D.Y. Patil Stadium where she suffered heartbreak in the 2025 ODI World Cup final against India, the South African all-rounder turned the tables on Harmanpreet Kaur’s side.
De Klerk’s historic all-round performance; an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls and a clinical four-wicket haul, snatched an improbable win from the jaws of defeat on the tournament's opening night.
Mumbai Indians, put in to bat first, struggled early against the sharp outswing of Lauren Bell, who set the tone with a superb opening spell. Amelia Kerr and Nat Sciver-Brunt fell cheaply, leaving MI reeling at 35/2.
While 17-year-old G. Kamalini, 32 and Harmanpreet Kaur, 20 offered brief fight, it was an 82-run partnership between Sajeevan Sajana and Nicola Carey that propelled MI to a competitive 154/6. Sajana, surviving two dropped catches, top-scored with a blistering 45 off 25 balls, while Carey added a composed 40 on debut.
The RCB chase began with an explosive 40-run stand between Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris, but the momentum shifted drastically as Amelia Kerr’s leg-spin tore through the middle order. From 40/0, Bengaluru slumped to 65/5 in the eighth over, leaving de Klerk and Arundhati Reddy to rebuild.
Despite their 52-run stand, the required run rate climbed to nearly 15 an over. De Klerk, who had earlier taken 4/26 with the ball, braved a series of nervous lapses from MI’s fielders, including a dropped catch from Sciver-Brunt and a botched run-out by Kamalini in the penultimate over.
The match reached its climax with RCB needing 18 runs from the final six deliveries. Facing the experienced Nat Sciver-Brunt, de Klerk played out two dot balls to start the over, leaving Bengaluru needing 18 from just four balls.
What followed was a breathtaking display of power hitting: she struck a six over long-off, a four through square leg, and another towering six over midwicket. With two needed off the final ball, de Klerk backed away to drill a boundary straight down the ground, finishing with a match-winning 63* and sparking jubilant celebrations in the RCB dugout.
"It is probably going to take a couple of days to sink in," de Klerk said after receiving the Player of the Match award. "If it is your day, you have to ensure you cash in. I was frustrated at the start of my innings but just tried to stay in the fight."
RCB captain Smriti Mandhana credited her all-rounder’s composure, recalling how de Klerk had similarly snatched victory for South Africa in previous high-stakes encounters. For Harmanpreet Kaur, the loss was a case of missed opportunities, as she rued the team’s late-game fielding errors and under-par first-innings total.
