South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk produced a breathtaking performance to power Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a sensational three-wicket victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Friday.
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The 25-year-old starred with both bat and ball, first claiming 4 for 26 to restrict MI to 154 for 6 after RCB opted to field, before scripting a dramatic run chase with an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, studded with seven fours and two sixes.
Nadine De Klerk holds nerve as RCB pull off last-over heist
Chasing 155, RCB found themselves in deep trouble at 137 for 7, needing 18 runs from the final over. De Klerk rose to the occasion in stunning fashion, smashing a six and a four off the third and fourth balls to bring the equation down to eight from two. She then launched a six off the penultimate delivery before carving Nat Sciver-Brunt through the covers for a four off the final ball to seal an unforgettable win.
RCB eventually finished on 157 for 7 in 20 overs, with Prema Rawat remaining unbeaten on 8. For Mumbai Indians, Nicola Carey and Amelia Kerr claimed two wickets each, while Sciver-Brunt, Shabnim Ismail and Amanjot Kaur chipped in with one apiece.
RCB’s chase had earlier threatened to derail despite a brisk start from openers Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris. The pair took RCB to 47 for 2 by the fifth over, but a dramatic collapse saw the side slump to 65 for 5 in the eighth, losing three wickets in just 2.4 overs.
Harris (25 off 12) and Mandhana (18 off 13) set the tone early, attacking Sciver-Brunt and Ismail in the powerplay. The third over proved particularly costly for MI as Harris struck a six and a four, while Mandhana found the boundary twice off Nicola Carey.
Mandhana’s promising innings ended in the fourth over when she miscued a shot off Ismail, followed shortly by Harris, who offered a simple catch at long-on off a slower delivery from Sciver-Brunt. Dayalan Hemalatha (7), Richa Ghosh (6) and Radha Yadav (1) departed quickly thereafter, leaving RCB reeling.
At the halfway stage, RCB were 75 for 5, still needing 80 runs from 60 balls. De Klerk anchored the innings calmly, receiving some support from Arundhati Reddy (20), before taking charge in the closing overs as wickets continued to tumble around her.
Earlier, Sajeevan Sajana played a crucial counter-attacking knock, smashing 45 off 25 balls to rescue the Mumbai Indians from a precarious position. She shared a vital 82-run fifth-wicket partnership with Nicola Carey (40) to lift MI to a competitive total.
Mumbai had struggled early after being asked to bat, slipping to 67 for 4 in the 11th over. Gunalan Kamalini top-scored with 32 off 28 balls at the top, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 20.
For RCB, de Klerk was the standout with the ball, while Lauren Bell and Shreyanka Patil picked up a wicket each. Bell set the tone with a maiden over at the start of the WPL 2026 season, dismissing Amelia Kerr after a scratchy stay.
Nat Sciver-Brunt was also dismissed cheaply, falling to de Klerk as MI continued to lose momentum. Kamalini and Harmanpreet departed in quick succession, leaving MI in trouble before Sajana’s late flourish provided some respectability to the total.
In the end, however, it was Nadine de Klerk’s night, as her all-round brilliance ensured RCB spectacularly began their WPL 2026 campaign.
(By PTI Inputs)
