🏏WPL 2026: Match 18: RCB W vs UP W at Vadodara on 29/01/26🏏 - Page 3

Recent Performance

Last five matches

UPW-W LLWWL
RCB-W WWWLL

Meg Lanning - We need to win every game we play, so nothing to lose as far as we're concerned. It was a nice break, we focused on things that we need to get better a, places where we can improve and we're happy to come into the XI. Couple of changes - Amy Jones comes in place of Litchfield, Simran is in place of Navgire. A new opening partner for me.

Smriti Mandhana - We will field first today. Good wicket to bat on, already played against Mumbai Indians, need to bowl in good areas. One thing I've mentioned is to think tactically, not emotionally. We'[ve done a lot of things right to win the first 5, just keep things simple, someone else might play better cricket, just keep it simple. One change - Pooja Vastrakar comes back in place of Gautami Naik, she had a one-year off, looking forward to her comeback. She's good to bat, bowling will take some time, we'll give her one match and then have a look at how things progresses.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women have won the toss and have opted to field

Teams:

UP Warriorz Women (Playing XI): Meg Lanning(c), Simran Shaikh, Amy Jones(w), Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana Joy, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (Playing XI): Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana(c), Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh(w), Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell

6:55pm The Warriorz are in must-win territory, but are also in a situation where even two consecutive wins will not guarantee them qualification. How and why, you may ask? Well, this piece should have all the answers.

Raji: "I have been saying this for long enough .. When Meg retired, Tahlia should have been given the captaincy but they gave it to Healy who was almost at the end of her career. Though Soph is a great choice and also one of my fav, she gets injured more frequently, if someone is not going to play consistently, it is not a wise decision .. actually they could have tried Annabel or Phoebe. Feels like they made a wrong choice again even after losing b2b World cups. " -- Well, the decision may have surprised more than a few people, but this might help shed light on the thought process Australia adopted and how they narrowed down on Sophie Molineux as their next leader.

7pm It is toss time in Vadodara. Lanning and Mandhana out there in the middle. Lanning gives the coin a flick. Mandhana calls heads, and heads it is. RCB will bowl first. Mandhana says it is a good wicket to bat on, and hopes they can bowl in good areas. Reckons they have to read the game practically rather than emotionally. Says there will be days when someone plays a good innings, like NSB did the other night, but adds it is important to keep things simple. Pooja Vastrakar comes in for Gautami Naik. Says that Vastrakar has had a tough year and that she is excited to see how she goes.

Lanning says this is like the start of a new tournament for them. Says the past few days have been a mix of taking a bit of a break and working on things that needed working. Amy Jones slots back in, with Simran also in the side. Lanning hints that she will have a new opening partner too.

Pitch Report: Same pitch as what was used for the MI-RCB game. A good wicket to bat on, says Mithali Raj. Off-pace deliveries, if bowled fuller, could be wicket-taking options, she reckons. Lots of cracks on the surface too, and it has a mosaic look to it.

Squads :

UP Warriorz XI: Meg Lanning (capt), Simran Shaikh, Amy Jones (wk), Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (capt), Georgia Voll, Pooja Vastrakar, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Sayali Satghare, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell

The big news from the toss is that Jones has been brought into the mix straightaway and she could slot into the top order. UPW's patience with Navgire also seems to have run out, although that might mean a new opening partner for Lanning tonight. RCB, meanwhile, will be pleased to welcome back Vastrakar. She may not fulfill all her all-rounder duties immediately, but having her in the fold does make this RCB side stronger.

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

Teams:

UP Warriorz Women (Playing XI): Meg Lanning(c), Simran Shaikh, Amy Jones(w), Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana Joy, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (Playing XI): Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana(c), Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh(w), Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell

Sorry didn’t notice your post or else I wouldn’t have posted it the second time.

Hypocaust: "This is the 40th consecutive WPL match in which the side winning the toss has elected to bowl first. The last time any team chose to bat first was in the 2024 final." -- Lanning was the skipper who opted to bat first on that evening too.

RK: "Interesting selection call from UPW - one might have expected Navgire in the middle order, perhaps instead of Sehrawat" -- Well, an average of 2.66 after six games is tough to cling on to...

Originally posted by: missFiesty_69

Sorry didn’t notice your post or else I wouldn’t have posted it the second time.