🏏WPL 2026: Match 18: RCB W vs UP W at Vadodara on 29/01/26🏏

🏏WPL 2026: Match 18: RCB W vs UP W at Vadodara on 29/01/26🏏

Close to four years on, head-scratching has become a familiar companion for UP Warriorz. Having slid continuously since a third place finish in 2023, their wretched run now threatens to stretch into a fourth season unless there is a sudden and dramatic upturn.

They have tried almost everything. A near-total reset of the squad. A change at the top with Abhishek Nayar coming in as head coach.

They even got Meg Lanning, the most successful captain in the history of women's cricket, to lead their side ahead of India star Deepti Sharma. None of it has shifted the needle meaningfully.

At its core, the problem may be simpler, and more uncomfortable. The WPL is, fundamentally, an Indian domestic tournament, and UPW have repeatedly failed to extract consistent value from their Indian players.

The overseas names have rotated, leadership has evolved, but the returns from the domestic group have remained stubbornly thin.

It reflects in their season's numbers right at the top - they average 12.16 runs for the opening wicket with Kiran Navgire returning scores of 1,5,0, 10, 0, 0.

Mathematically, hope still flickers. UPW will almost certainly need to win both their remaining games to stay alive.

Even one victory might keep them afloat, but only via a maze of permutations that offer little comfort. It is a narrow path, and one that allows no further slips.

They come into their penultimate contest after a rare one-week break: time to reflect, recalibrate, and perhaps reset a few mental markers. Breaks, as their opponents will know, can change momentum quickly.

RCB's own season offers a cautionary counterpoint. They powered through a congested opening phase to reel off five straight wins, only to return from a short pause to find their golden touch dulled, suffering back-to-back defeats. They remain top of the table and are still well placed to finish there even with another loss, but momentum has begun to wobble.

Heading into a summit clash with three defeats in succession, and questions surfacing this late, is rarely an ideal place to be. For UPW, the stakes are existential. For RCB, the concern is subtler but no less real: whether a brief dip is becoming a pattern.

When: UPW vs RCB, January 29, 19:30 IST

Where: BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara

What to expect: After a sluggish start, the last two games at the venue have offered noticeably better batting conditions, reflected in teams crossing 170 in each of the last four innings. By contrast, that mark was breached just once across the first eight innings. Even so, teams have defended successfully in the last two games here, giving captains with the chasing blinkers on, something to ponder.

We can expect a high-voltage encounter between these two teams today. On one hand, there's RCBW, currently at the top of the points table, while on the other hand, UPW will be looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. Let's take a look at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara stats and records, and the head-to-head record before the UP-W vs RCB-W 18th WPL match.

The pitch at the BCA Stadium is now showing a completely "slow and low" nature. As the tournament progresses, cracks are developing on the pitch, which is benefiting the spinners, and the ball is coming onto the bat a little slower.

According to the records, the trend here is now to "bat first," as the team batting first has won 4 out of 6 matches. In today's match, the team winning the toss will want to choose to bat first without hesitation, as the pitch becomes even slower in the second innings, making it risky to play big shots.

The average score on this ground is between 160 and 170 runs.

UP Warriorz

UP Warriorz have been dealt a significant blow with Phoebe Litchfield ruled out through injury. Amy Jones has been brought in as her replacement, but the situation also presents an opportunity to restore Deandra Dottin to the XI and pair her with Chloe Tryon.

The opening slot remains a concern. UPW may consider giving Harleen Deol another run at the top - she had just the one outing there this season - which could also allow the under-pressure Kiran Navgire some breathing space by moving her into the middle order.

Probable XI: Meg Lanning (c), Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Deandra Dottin, Deepti Sharma, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrwat (wk), Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

RCB will be mindful of the sudden dip in returns from their top order. Grace Harris and Georgia Voll have just one substantial innings apiece and will be keen to return among the runs before the playoffs. There may also be cause to revisit Shreyanka Patil's batting position, given her proven ability to create impact in limited time at the crease.

Probable XI: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare

What they said:

"We know the impact Shreyanka can create, and it's a very fair question [if she should be promoted from the current no. 10] because if she has more deliveries can she score a lot more? That's something we'll

consider for sure going forward." - Malolan Rangarajan, RCB head coach

Head-to-Head: The matches played so far between the UP Warriorz and Royal Challengers Bangalore women's teams in the Women's Premier League have been quite close. However, in recent years, the RCB women's team has gained an edge.

A total of 7 matches have been played between these two teams in the Women's Premier League. Of these matches, RCB has won 4, while UP has won 3. Today's match, however, is expected to be a closely contested one between the two teams.

Three defeats in their first three fixtures left them in a difficult spot, but two back-to-back wins against the Mumbai Indians, followed by a comprehensive defeat at the hands of the Gujarat Giants in Match 14, have now left the Warriorz in a do-or-die situation.

They hold their destiny in their own hands, though. Two wins in their final two games will secure them a knockout spot. However, a defeat here will make things extremely difficult with Meg Lanning’s team, who already hold the worst net run rate in the league.

UPW need several players to step up and do a job if they want to progress beyond the league phase. In the batting department, new acquisition Phoebe Litchfield leads the run-scoring chart with 243 runs, with skipper Lanning close behind (207 runs). Harleel Deol (150 runs) has also chipped in with a couple of good knocks, but the rest of the batting line-up has failed miserably.

Their bowling department has been even worse. They are yet to take ten wickets against a single opposition, with their recent eight-wicket haul against the Gujarat Giants currently being their best outing. Sophie Ecclestone is currently their highest wicket-taker with six scalps, while both Deepti Sharma and Shikha Pandey sit next with five wickets each.

Having started their campaign in exact contrast to the Warriorz, winning five in five to sit at the top with a healthy lead, two back-to-back defeats have rocked the RCB boat. Now, only two points separate them from second-placed Gujarat Giants. What will be more worrying for them is the fact that it’s twice on the bounce that their top and middle orders have collapsed, while their bowlers have looked ineffective on those same strips.

Despite those defeats, RCB have already qualified for the knockouts, though they will want to get back to winning ways before concluding their league stage campaign. In the batting department, skipper Smriti Mandhana leads their run-scoring chart with 236 runs in seven innings. Richa Ghosh, with her 50-ball 90 knock against the Mumbai Indians that ended in a losing cause, has reminded everyone what mayhem she can cause on her day. However, the RCB management will definitely want to see some more from their middle-order batters.

In the Royal Challengers’ bowling department, it has been a complete team effort. Lauren Bell and Nadine de Klerk lead the way with 11 wickets apiece, Shreyanka Patil has nine scalps, and Sayali Satghare has eight. Given that they are the first team to book their place in the knockouts, the 2024 WPL champions can use the remaining league fixtures to fine-tune certain aspects of their game.