RCB vs UPW, WPL 2025 Highlights: UP Warriorz beats Royal Challengers Bengaluru in first ever Super Over
RCB vs UPW, WPL 2025 Highlights: UP Warriorz beats Royal Challengers Bengaluru in first ever Super Over
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Who will RCB send in? It looks like Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana are walking in to bat. Sophie Ecclestone with the ball. Starts with a dot, bowled on the stumps. Richa gets it too straight and crashes into the stumps but Ecclestone doesn’t get a hand on it. Smriti is on strike now. LBW given OUT! Smriti reviews in the last second but is saved. Pitching outside leg and she jogs back.
Hard hit to long on and RCB now needs 7 runs to win off 2 balls. Another single and that’s 6 off one ball needed. Just a single and UP WARRIORZ WIN!
Chinelle Henry whacks that high up but gets no distance. Smriti does well to save two runs. Next one lands in no man’s land. Tempting Henry with an outside off delivery but umpire calls it wide. RCB reviews it but in vain. Henry gets an outside edge and garth has gotten her out for the second time in this match.
Chinelle Henry c Ghosh b Garth 4 (4)
Game-changer Sophie Ecclestone walks in. Dot ball. Garth nailing the wide yorkers. Wide and full, Ecclestone reaches out for it and musters another single. Grace Harris on strike. Another wide. Slaps it down to deep cover for a single.
UPW 9/1 IN 1 OVER; RCB needs 9 to win
Chinelle Henry is padded up. So is Grace Harris. Both of them make their way to the centre with only one goal, GO BIG!
Kim Garth with the ball.
18 runs needed in six balls. Renuka starts with a crucial SIX over deep square leg! SIX more! Ecclestone not giving up without a fight! FOUR! No stopping Ecclestone. Cuts it in the gap between backward point and short third. Takes a single and that’s one needed from one. That’s a run out on the last ball! WE ARE GOING TO A SUPER OVER! THE FIRST EVER IN THE WPL!
Bisht returns for the penultimate over. Saima and Ecclestone finding fielders in the deep. SIX! Saima has unleashed some unbelievable power to hammer this over the bowler. Doesn’t time this one but lands in no man’s land. Cannot complete the second and OUT!
Saima Thakor run out (Wareham/†Ghosh) 14 (8)
Kranti Goud is the last batter in. Gets an edge that runs away behind the keeper and gets two.
Wareham returns. SIX! Ecclestone has gotten enough power under this to cross square leg ropes. One more SIX! Launches this straight over long-on to the stands. Three dots to end the over. Game isn’t over yet.
Garth to bowl out. OUT! Gets Chinelle Henry to chop one back on. That might be the much-needed wicket for RCB to get a grip on this match.
Chinelle Henry b Garth 8 (6)
Saima Thakor gets an edge to go for FOUR! Six runs and a wicket off the over.
SIX! That’s gone a long way! Chinelle connects well and launches the ball over long on. Wareham now bowling to Ecclestone. The Australian spinner does well to keep the big-hitter in control.
Perry with the ball. OUT! Shweta falls soon after and UP is in big trouble. Fullish in the sixth stump channel and Shweta cannot get enough on it.
Shweta Sehrawat c †Ghosh b Perry 31 (25)
Sohpie Ecclestone and Chinelle Henry are yet to face a ball. Two runs and a wicket.
Timeout – 56 runs needed off 30 balls.
Sneh back. The batters running hard between the wickets. Finding all the gaps and finds the best one. Shweta gets a FOUR! Swept over short third and runs away to the ropes. Uma gets the time and power right but not the area. OUT! Sneh has her third.
Uma Chetry c Wareham b Rana 14 (11)
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Bisht comes back and that’s FOUR! Shweta gets on one knee and whips it back, over short fine leg. Uma this time with a FOUR! Powered between deep mid-wicket and deep backward square leg. The Warriorz maintaining a healthy run rate, 12 off this over.
Wareham continues. Sticking to a couple of singles. FOUR! Uma smashes the short, wide ball between cover and extra cover. Wide, has to bowl the last one again. FInishes with a single.
Garth returns. Pressure starting to build for the batters in search for boundaries. OUT! Harris finds Sneh Rana at long on and that’s the fifth wicket down for UP.
Grace Harris c Rana b Garth 8 (10)
Georgia Wareham into the attack. Back-to-back FOURs! Sehrawat guides it behind and threads the gap on the offside. Ten runs coming off the over.
Ellyse Perry bowling her first over in this season of the WPL. Grace Harris walks in. Challenges the wide call and wins it. No run from Perry’s over so far. FOUR! Short and wide, powered through the gap between backward point and short third.
Sneh to Deepti, FOUR! Tossed up full just outside off, Deepti sweeps in the gap, between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg. Sehrawat bangs one down the track but long off was stationed there. FOUR! Deepti’s sweep serves her well. Picks out the same gao and is just toying with the field now. Huge shout for lbw and review taken confidently! The ball grazed the skipper’s gloves and Sneh has two.
Deepti Sharma c †Ghosh b Rana 25 (13)
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Ekta Bisht into the attack. The spinner keeps the runs to a minimum. Loud appeal for lbw! They don’t take the review and rightfully so. There was an edge. Three runs off the over.
Sneh Rana strikes on her RCB debut! OUT! Outside off and beats an advancing McGrath. Easy work for Richa Ghosh with the gloves.
Tahlia McGrath st †Ghosh b Rana 0 (4)
Shweta Sehrawat walks in. FOUR! Deepti keeps the momentum going. going down leg and there’s no protection behind short third.
Vrinda struck on the pads by Renuka but no interest to the appeal. Comes down the track and whacks the next ball over over mid-on for FOUR! OUT! Looked to go the other side of the ball but holes out to Smriti at mid-off.
Dinesh Vrinda c Mandhana b Renuka Singh 14 (10)
Tahlia McGrath is the new batter in.
Garth going for runs aplenty. Deepti tickles the ball fine behind for FOUR! The skipper and Vrinda run three on the first. FOUR more! Deepti picks the short one and pulls it over mid-wicket. That’s 14 coming off the over.
Renuka returns. FOUR! Vrinda finds her groove and slices the ball past point to the ropes. OUT! Navgire has to walk back! Castled by Renuka’s in swing.
Kiran Navgire b Renuka Singh 24 (12)
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Deepti Sharma comes in at 3.
Kim Garth been taken on by Navgire. Judges the in swings and steps back on the first two balls to smash a FOUR and SIX! Follows it up with a single. Vrinda Dinesh cannot replicate her partner’s intent. Swing and a miss and Smashes one into the air, but lands in no main’s air. Shorter and punsihed! Navgire on a roll! Whacks it over the bowler.
Renuka Singh to start with the new ball. FOUR! Navgire opens her account with an inside edge that runs away to the boundary behind the keeper. FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries for Navgire as she thumps the ball to the long-on boundary.
Target is 180. Can UP Warriorz pocket another win? All to play for..
Kim Garth hands the strike over. Close call! Garth came a long way down and had to dart back. Ecclestone has denied Perry her century. Has kept Perry’s big-hitting to a minimal. And gets Garth run out on the last ball! Perry is unbeaten on 90 and has steered RCB to a competitive 180-run total.
Kim Garth run out (Ecclestone) 2 (2)
Deepti with the ball. OUT! Mix-up in the middle and Wareham has to walk back. Saima Thakor aces the pick-up and throw.
Georgia Wareham run out (Thakor/Sharma) 8 (6)
FOUR and SIX! No stopping Perry here! And another FOUR! She is racing away to what can be the first WPL century. Batting on 84 and keeping the strike.
SIX! Perry on the charge! Short and down leg from McGarth, picked up and put away into the stands. FOUR! Wareham tagging along, width on offer, stands up tall and slaps it over mid-off. Close call! Perry gets her dive right and avoids a runout attempt.
Deepti strikes! Kanika cannot connect her reverse sweep. A loud appeal for lbw but Uma Chetry quickly swiped the bails off. Kanika Ahuja had started walking back but umpires are have a check. OUT!
Kanika Ahuja run out (†Chetry) 5 (3)
Georgia Wareham is off the mark with a single. Perry has once again been witness to a collapse at the other end and has taken things into her hands. FOUR! Marches down the track and blasts it past her partner.
Henry to bowl out. Richa steps out to muscle it past mid-off but mistimes. But she nails it on the next one. FOUR! Henry retaliates with a shorter one and Richa falls for it. OUT! Shot high up Henry completes the catch.
Richa Ghosh c & b Henry 8 (6)
Play resumes after the second timeout. Kanika picks up from Richa left off and that’s FOUR! Exquisite placement between cover and mid off. And Henry has to bowl again, oversteps. Bouncer and called wide, another free hit! And another wide! Free hit continues. Kanika cannot capitalise and settles for a single. A long over finally winds up.
McGrath to Wyatt-Hodge. OUT! The Warriorz have a breakthrough. Miscues the cut and Sehrawat tracks the ball to complete a fine, important catch.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge c Sehrawat b McGrath 57 (41)
Richa Ghosh starts with a bang! FOUR! Slot ball on middle stump and she punches it over the bowler.
What a way to bring up a fifty! SIX over long on for Wyatt-Hodge! Both batters on half-centuries and raring to score more. Ecclestone does well to limit the damage. Limits them to running behind the wickets. Ten coming from the over, nevertheless.
Kranti replaces Henry. The Warriorz upping their fielding game. Vrinda aces the drive to thwart the ball from deep point ropes. Perry takes a single and that’s fifty! Back-to-back ones! FOUR! Wyatt-Hodge picking up the pace now. Two FOURs in a row! Swatted behind square and goes past the bowler. Make that three! Smacked over covers this time.
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Deepti is back. SIX! Wyatt-Hodge picks up the floated delivery and launches it over long on. Perry joining in on the fun now, FOUR! Shorter and Perry swings past short fine leg to the ropes. Could this be the over RCB needed to step on the gas? 14 coming from it.
Henry returns. FOUR! Give Perry width and she will make you regret it. Flicks it hard past cover point to the ropes. Edged but safe! Outside off bounce, Perry gets a top edge but no fielder there. afew singles, eight coming off the over.
Tahlia McGrath starts with a wide. FOUR! Crafty shot from Perry who took it with the height and guided it over point. Wyatt-Hodge on strike but can’t make use of the free hit from McGrath’s overstep. Close call again! McGrath got a hand on the ball which sped back to the non-striker’s end. Had it been on target, that could have been the game for Perry. A couple of singles and a double, that’s 10 off the over.
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Perry’s edge just out of reach for a diving Uma Chetry but that’s FOUR! Kranti is in shock. Sticking to the outside off line, forcing Perry to try hammering one through the tight protection. But has to settle for the single again.
Strategic timeout.
Ecclestone. Perry bangs that straight to the bowler who seemed to have gotten a finger on the ball which crashed into the stumps. A brief check to see if Wyatt-Hodge’s bat was in the crease, and she was. Wyatt-Hodge on strike, finding the gaps but having to settle with running.
Sixth bowler in seven overs. Kranti Goud into the attack. Perry finds a single at short third. Bouncer! Wyatt-Hodge does well to avoid contact. Wider line and Wyatt-Hodge can only swing at air. Just three runs off the over.
Saima Thakor with the ball. Wyatt-Hodge strikes with intent but the fielder in the deep was in place. SIX! Slot, outside off, easy picking for Perry who dislodges the ball over long on. A single to end the eight-run over.
Sophie Ecclestone in, third spinner in the PowerPlay. Back-to-back FOURs for Perry! Full on the pads, Perry sweeps it past backward square leg and smashes through covers on the next. Ecclestone reels it back in, finishing with four dots after.
Deepti Sharma into the attack. Pitched fuller and on the stumps, Wyatt-Hodge moves back and finds a single on the off side. OUT! Skipper gets skipper! Length ball, on middle and off, Smriti Tries to get room and cut but only manages an inside edge that goes on to flatten off stump.
Smriti Mandhana b Sharma 6 (9)
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
In comes Ellyse Perry.
Henry continues. FOUR! Short and wide, Wyatt-Hodge cuts with power past short third to the fence. Scampers down for a quick single. FOUR! First boundary off the bat for Smriti and that’ll be some relief for the skipper. Times the straight chop to perfection.
Grace Harris, the hat-trick taker, has been handed the ball quite early here. SIX! Didn’t get the release right and Wyatt-Hodge smashes the full-toss over deep backward square ropes. Around the wicket to Smriti. DROPPED! The RCB skipper is handed a second life after backward point can’t hold on. That’s 11 from the over.
Chinelle Herny to start the proceedings. Plenty of in-swing for the bowler. Smriti gets off the mark with a single to mid-off. Cutter, Wyatt-Hodge finds deep point for a run. Smriti unable to breakthrough the heavily guarded off-side region. Just two runs this over.
Put in to bat here, RCB will be aware that defending a total is possible in Bengaluru. But it has to do so against UPW, the side that achieved this defensive feat a couple of nights ago.
Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge will open for the home team. Can they get going immediately?
Our reporter, Rajdeep Saha, spotted a certain Ellyse Perry marking her run up ahead of the match. Great news for RCB!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana (capt), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Raghvi Bist, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham, Sneh Rana, Kim Garth, Ekta Bisht, Renuka Singh
Sneh Rana makes RCB debut, comes in for VJ Joshitha.
UP Warriorz (Playing XI): Kiran Navgire, Vrinda Dinesh, Deepti Sharma(c), Tahlia McGrath, Shweta Sehrawat, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry, Sophie Ecclestone, Uma Chetry(w), Kranti Goud, Saima Thakor
Unchanged
UPW wins the toss, opts to bowl.
Pitch No. 7 is a nice grassy one with a couple of cracks. There will good pace and good carry. Both square boundaries are equidistant (58m apiece). It’s 69m hit straight down the ground. It will be important for bowlers to get wickets in the PowerPlay, says former Australian player Julia Price.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU: Smriti Mandhana (C), Danni Wyatt, Sabbineni Meghana, Charlie Dean, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Heather Graham, Joshitha VJ, Kanika Ahuja, Kim Garth, Prema Rawat, Raghvi Bist, Sneh Rana, Nuzhat Parween, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht, Jagravi Pawar, Renuka Singh.
UP WARRIORZ: Uma Chetry (wk), Vrinda Dinesh, Grace Harris, Deepti Sharma (c), Tahlia McGrath, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Alana King, Saima Thakor, Kranti Goud, Chamari Athapaththu, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Gouher Sultana, Arushi Goel, Chinelle Henry, Poonam Khemnar.
Matches played: 4
RCB: 3
UPW: 1
The defending champion’s homecoming began on the wrong foot after it lost to Mumbai Indians by four wickets in the first game of the Bengaluru leg. On the other hand, the Deepti Sharma-led UPW will be upbeat after opening its account this season courtesy of a thumping win against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
Rajdeep Saha previews the games:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru faces a resurgent UP Warriorz side at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.
RCB vs UPW is Match No. 9.
Welcome back to WPL 2025 action! A day’s break after too exciting matches in Bengaluru, and plenty more to come.
Stay tuned!
