WPL 2026: UPW face RCB in playoff spot quest
What's the story
The 2026 Women's Premier League (WPL) playoff race is heating up as UP Warriorz gear up to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a crucial encounter. The match will take place at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, on January 29. After a rough start to the season, the Warriorz are now looking for redemption and a shot at playoff qualification. Meanwhile, RCB have already sealed one of the three spots.
Match conditions
Pitch report and previous match
The pitch at BCA Stadium has improved of late, with teams scoring over 170 runs in the last two matches. The teams have fared well in the second innings despite being unable to chase the targets. The previous match here saw Delhi Capitals nearly chase down 175 against Gujarat Giants. Sophie Devine defended nine runs in the final over, sealing GG's three-run win.
RCB squad
RCB's top order and potential batting changes
The Royal Challengers will be wary of their top-order slump. Smriti Mandhana's shortcomings against off-spinners have been noticeable. Ahead of the playoffs, they would want to regain their form. With Richa Ghosh bolstering the middle order, the RCB team management could rejig Shreyanka Patil's batting position. She smashed a crucial 5-ball 12* at No. 10 in RCB's chase against Mumbai Indians.
UPW squad
Phoebe Litchfield's injury adds to woes
UPW have struggled to get consistent performances. The team has made several changes, including bringing in Meg Lanning as captain and Abhishek Nayar as head coach. However, these changes haven't produced the desired results. Phoebe Litchfield's injury has added to their woes as she had been among the top run-scorers. England's Amy Jones has replaced her in the squad. The bottom-placed UPW need to win their remaining two games and hope for other results to favor them.
Probable XIs
A look at likely XIs
RCB (Probable XI): Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (captain), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, and Lauren Bell. UPW (Probable XI): Meg Lanning (captain), Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Deandra Dottin, Deepti Sharma, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrwat (wicket-keeper), Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey, and Kranti Gaud.
Stats
Notable stats; players in spotlight
RCB defeated UPW by nine wickets in the first encounter between the two sides in WPL 2026. UPW will miss Litchfield, currently the third-highest run-scorer this season. She finished with a strike rate of 154.77. As many as three RCB players have taken 10-plus wickets this season - Lauren Bell (11), Nadine de Klerk (11), and Shreyanka Patil (10).