WPL 2026 season opener at the DY Patil Stadium was a night of pure theater, beginning with a star-studded opening ceremony and ending with a final-ball thriller. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) managed to edge out the defending champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), in a match that will be remembered for individual brilliance and a miraculous comeback.
WPL 2026: Nadine de Klerk pulls off dramatic turnaround as RCB defeat MI in a thriller
South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk orchestrated a heist of epic proportions to give RCB a winning start. Chasing a target of 155, Bengaluru found themselves in deep trouble at 121/7 after 17.2 overs, with the required rate climbing steeply and the MI bowling attack, led by Nicola Carey and Amelia Kerr, looking impenetrable.
De Klerk, who had been dropped twice in the 19th over and survived a close run-out call, took the game into the final over with 18 runs needed off just 6 balls. After starting the over with two nerve-wracking dot balls from Nat Sciver-Brunt, the equation stood at a near-impossible 18 from 4, but de Klerk remained ice-cold under the stadium lights. She proceeded to dismantle the defense with a sequence of 6, 4, 6, 4, clearing the long-off boundary with immense power before sealing the victory on the final delivery to finish unbeaten on 63 off 44 balls*.
The victory was the culmination of a perfect all-round performance by de Klerk, who had earlier dismantled the Mumbai’s top order during her four-over spell. After Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to field, de Klerk utilized the “spongy bounce” of the DY Patil pitch to perfection, removing stars like Nat Sciver-Brunt and the MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur to finish with career-best figures of 4/26.
Despite her early breakthroughs, Mumbai had managed to post a competitive 154/6 thanks to a resilient 83-run partnership between Sajeevan Sajana (45) and Nicola Carey (40). However, their efforts were overshadowed by the sheer will of de Klerk, who single-handedly dragged RCB across the line in the final moments of the game. This 3-wicket victory serves as a massive statement of intent for Bengaluru, proving they have the temperament to win from any situation as they look to dethrone the reigning champions this season.
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WPL 2026: Mumbai Indians stunned by late Royal Challengers Bengaluru surge
Defending champions Mumbai Indians appeared to have the match firmly in their grasp until a final-over explosion turned their certain victory into a heartbreaking defeat. After a shaky start where they were reduced to 67/4, the middle-order pair of Sajana and Carey played with immense maturity, counter-attacking against the RCB spinners to lift the total to 154.
Sajana was particularly aggressive, striking seven boundaries and a six in her 25-ball 45, while Carey provided the stability with a crucial 40. Their partnership gave the MI bowlers a target they felt confident defending, and for 19 overs, it seemed they were right. Shabnim Ismail and Amelia Kerr bowled with discipline, consistently picking up wickets and stifling the RCB chase, leaving the Bengaluru side needing a daunting 18 runs off the final four deliveries of the entire match.
However, the game shifted in a matter of minutes as Nat Sciver-Brunt struggled to contain a rampaging de Klerk in the ultimate over of the night. Mumbai’s fielding, which had been sharp for most of the evening, crumbled under the pressure of the death overs, with two critical catches of de Klerk being spilled in the penultimate over, errors that would eventually cost them the game.
As the final ball raced to the long-off fence for four, the Mumbai Indians were left to reflect on a game of missed opportunities and a rare failure to close out a match from a dominant position. While the defeat is a setback for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, the fighting spirit shown by their lower-middle order remains a positive takeaway.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Woowwwwww
What a game that was
Intense , kept swinging both ways and just the start a tournament like @wplt20 needs
Cricket is a beautiful sport . Love it
Nadine de Klerk you were 🤩
Well done @RCBTweets and @mipaltan
Fun start
❤️❤️
— DK (@DineshKarthik) January 9, 2026
Great start to the WPL. 🔥🔥🔥
Well done to RCB!
De Klerk lives up to the promise.👌#WPL2026 #RCBvMI
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 9, 2026
You knew it at the Women’s World Cup – Nadine de Klerk is going to be an absolute game changer wherever she goes. What a start to the WPL !! First of many this season for @rcb for sure …
— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) January 9, 2026
NADINE DE KLERK REMEMBER THE NAME
— Kevin (@imkevin149) January 9, 2026
Nadine de Klerk! I know a lot would hate me saying this but very Lance Kluseneresque that was! Sooo much fun! South Africa produces such great all rounders!
— TheRandomCricketPhotosGuy (@RandomCricketP1) January 9, 2026
What a game! Nadine de Klerk continues her unreal run since the WC. #WPL2026
— Peeyush Sharma (@peeyushsharmaa) January 9, 2026
Nadine de klerk is an absolute champion of a player #WPL2026
— Yash Rathi (@YashRathi1845) January 9, 2026
Nadine de Klerk scares me like nobody else does. I haven’t recovered from the World Cup onslaught Yet and she packs another punch against us.
What a player though..#WPL2026
— Cricketologist (@AMP86793444) January 9, 2026
Build Nadine de Klerk a statue. pic.twitter.com/EEUMJWpJ4L
— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) January 9, 2026
First match of the season and what a thrilling match it was ⚡🔥
– Majestic innings from Nadine de Klerk 🙌#MIvRCB #WPL2026 #nandinedekelerk pic.twitter.com/REDBUOHzZs
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) January 9, 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
