7 months ago

RCB Wins WPL 2026 Opener

RCB Wins WPL 2026 Opener
Nadine de Klerk Basks In Glory After Taking RCB To Thrilling Win: 'If It Is Your...' · news18.com

Nadine de Klerk, a star player from South Africa, helped her team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), win a very exciting cricket match against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026.

She took 4 wickets and scored 63 runs not out, which helped RCB win by 3 wickets.

De Klerk said that when a player feels it's their day, they should make the most of it.

She also praised her teammates for their important contributions.

The match was closely fought, with RCB needing 18 runs in the last over to win.

De Klerk's brilliant batting in the final over sealed the victory for RCB.

Unfortunately, RCB's Pooja Vastrakar and MI's Hayley Matthews were both injured and couldn't play in the match.

MI will now face Delhi Capitals in their next match, aiming to secure their first win of the season.

Key facts

Teams
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs. Mumbai Indians
Match Result
RCB won by 3 wickets
Nadine de Klerk's Performance
4/26 with the ball, 63* off 44 balls with the bat
MI's Total
154/6 in 20 overs
RCB's Total
157/7 in 20 overs
Match Date
January 10, 2026
Venue
Navi Mumbai
Key Bowlers for MI
Nicola Carey (2/20), Amelia Kerr (2/25), Nat Sciver-Brunt (1/20), Shabnim Ismail (1/22), Amanjot Kaur (1/20)
Injured Players
Pooja Vastrakar (RCB, hamstring), Hayley Matthews (MI, shoulder)
MI Squad
Hayley Matthews, G Kamalini, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Poonam Khemnar, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Rahila Firdous, Milly Illingworth, Saika Ishaque, Nicola Carey
DC Squad
Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt, Deeya Yadav, Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Mamatha Madiwala, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Lucy Hamilton, Nandani Sharma

Timeline

  1. Samson exits RCB, cites personal reasons.

  2. Then, Nadine de Klerk steps in as new skipper.

  3. She aims to turn RCB's WPL fortunes around.

  4. In her debut, Nadine smashes 63* and claims 4 wickets.

  5. RCB downs Mumbai Indians in a nail-biter.

Quotes

Nicola Carey

All-rounder for the Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League

“If you look at the other overseas players in this lineup, they are world-class. I was under no illusions about where I sat. I just prepared how I would go into a game. Sometimes you have last-minute changes, and that’s just the nature of these competitions.”
thehansindia.com
“The crowd has been amazing. It’s been wild. Playing alongside players like Harmanpreet Kaur and watching how they go about things has been really cool. You’re always learning in different conditions with different players and coaches.”
thehansindia.com

Mithali Raj

Former India captain and cricket commentator

“From the time she walked in, she was timing the ball well. She didn’t take many deliveries to get her eye in. She continued from where she left off on Friday, scoring those 30-odd runs, and the shots she played were very clean. The bat swing, how she picked the length, she was playing in the areas she was targeting, and she picked her bowlers as well when the spinners came on. That one big over from Minnu Mani, although boundaries were hit by Nat Sciver-Brunt, both of them picked up momentum there. There was a shift in the game, and from then on, she was playing shots at will.”
thehansindia.com deccanchronicle.com
“When it comes to her form, she might have a couple of quiet games, but you know there is always a big innings coming from her. When she walked in, the approach and intent she showed suggested she wanted to contribute to the team. She didn’t do that in the last game, but as a unit, Mumbai Indians were aware that if they wanted to get across the line, she had to come good. The fortunes of Mumbai Indians rest heavily on her. When she does well, everybody else around her just gets going.”
thehansindia.com deccanchronicle.com

Katey Martin

Former New Zealand cricketer and commentator

“I think they adjusted their plans really well. They bowled a lot straighter and at better lengths. Amelia Kerr is so effective through the middle, but she had the platform created early by other bowlers. I thought Shabnim Ismail’s execution was top-notch, even though she was unlucky not to get Lizelle Lee out a little earlier with that bumper plan. I think Nicola Carey bowled perfect deliveries for those two types of players, where you want to beat them on the inside edge. So, it was really clear in terms of planning from Mumbai Indians bowlers, and the execution was pinpoint in comparison to Friday against RCB, including the key moments like the catch from Kamalini to dismiss Jemimah Rodrigues. We saw a number of dropped catches on Friday that potentially shifted the game. So I think it was those quick improvements and a positive shift in attitude.”
thehansindia.com deccanchronicle.com

Sources

news18.com · 7 months ago

Injury Blow For Royal Challengers Bengaluru As Star Pacer All Set To Miss Two Weeks

rediff.com · 7 months ago

WPL: RCB's Vastrakar sidelined for two weeks

wionews.com · 7 months ago

WPL 2026: RCB handed injury blow in opener as Pooja Vastrakar injuries hamstring

indianexpress.com · 5 months ago

MI vs DC LIVE Cricket Score, WPL 2026: Mumbai Indians look to bounce back from opening day defeat

theprint.in · 7 months ago

Pooja Vastrakar out for two weeks due to hamstring injury: RCB head coach

deccanchronicle.com · 7 months ago

Pooja Vastrakar Out For Two Weeks Due To Hamstring Injury: RCB Head Coach

news18.com · 7 months ago

Nadine de Klerk Basks In Glory After Taking RCB To Thrilling Win: 'If It Is Your...'

thehansindia.com · 7 months ago

De Klerk’s heroics power RCB to last-ball win over MI in WPL opener

rediff.com · 7 months ago

'll take couple of days for win to sink in'

rediff.com · 7 months ago

WPL: Harman stars in Mumbai's emphatic win over Delhi

theprint.in · 7 months ago

Delhi Capitals win toss, elect to bowl against Mumbai Indians

thehansindia.com · 7 months ago

WPL 2026: Warriorz elect to bowl against Giants as Lanning eyes change of fortune with new franchise

news18.com · 7 months ago

WPL 2026: MI Regain Top Spot; Harmanpreet Kaur Takes Orange Cap & Amelia Kerr Claims Purple

timesnownews.com · 7 months ago

MI vs DC Women Live Cricket Score WPL 2026: Jemimah Rodrigues Looks For Win On Captaincy Debut; Check Toss Timings

firstpost.com · 7 months ago

Mumbai Indians bounce back with 50-run win over Delhi Capitals; Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet star

thestatesman.com · 7 months ago

Pooja sidelined for two weeks with hamstring injury

news18.com · 7 months ago

Seven Deadly Times: MI Seal Emphatic 50-Run Win As DC Hit Unwanted WPL Record

indianexpress.com · 7 months ago

DC-W vs GG-W, WPL 2026 Live Score Streaming Online: When and How to Watch Delhi Capitals Vs Gujarat Giants Women Today Match Telecast and Online?

thestatesman.com · 7 months ago

WPL 2026: Harmanpreet, Sciver-Brunt star as MI thrash DC by 50 runs

thehansindia.com · 7 months ago

WPL: 'MI's fortunes rest heavily on Nat Sciver-Brunt,' opines Mithali

deccanchronicle.com · 7 months ago

Fortunes Of Mumbai Indians Rest Heavily On Nat Sciver-Brunt : Mithali Raj

livemint.com · 7 months ago

Rickelton stars for MI Cape Town in win over Joburg Super Kings

news18.com · 7 months ago

Inside MI Women Vs DC Women WPL 2026 Match: Big Hits, Turning Points

indianexpress.com · 7 months ago

WPL 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt show their class as MI bounce back quickly to crush DC

thehansindia.com · 7 months ago

'I’ve been lucky enough to find my way', says Nicola Carey on WPL opportunity

thehansindia.com · 7 months ago

WPL 2026: Came in with an even stronger mindset to execute our plans better, says Harmanpreet

thehansindia.com · 7 months ago

WPL 2026: Harmanpreet, Sciver-Brunt star as MI thrash DC by 50 runs

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