Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCB W) will aim to bounce back when they take on UP Warriorz (UP W) in Match 18 of WPL 2026 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Thursday, January 29. RCB began the season in dominant fashion, winning their first five games and securing a playoff spot early. However, consecutive losses to Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians have dented their momentum. A win against UP Warriorz will be crucial for restoring confidence and heading into the knockout stages on a positive note.

On the other hand, UP Warriorz, led by Meg Lanning, face a must-win situation in their last two matches to remain in playoff contention. Currently, they have managed only two victories in six games, suffering defeats in four. Their latest encounter saw them lose to Gujarat Giants by 45 runs, highlighting inconsistencies in both batting and bowling. A strong performance against RCB W could revive their chances and give them hope of advancing further in the tournament.

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WPL 2026, Match 18, RCB-W vs UPW-W: Live Streaming Details

WPL 2026, Match 18, RCB-W vs UPW-W: Probable Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCB W):

Smriti Mandhana (C), Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (WK), Gautami Naik, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell.

UP Warriorz Women (UP W):

Meg Lanning (C), Kiran Navgire, Harleen Deol, Phoebe Litchfield, Shweta Sehrawat (WK), Chloe Tryon, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Goud.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru standby coach Malolan Rangarajan has shared his views after the team’s first defeat in WPL 2026. RCB’s five-match winning run came to an end against Delhi Capitals on January 24. Despite the loss, Rangarajan felt the setback arrived at the right time. He believes early lessons are important in a long tournament.

Rangarajan underlined that RCB’s ambitions go beyond simple qualification. He made it clear that the franchise is targeting the top position on the points table. According to him, qualifying for the playoffs does not reduce the importance of addressing mistakes. The team wants to keep improving.

He also pointed out that the players and support staff will not ignore the defeat. The focus will be on understanding conditions and finding solutions. Rangarajan added that his approach would remain the same even if qualification was still at stake. For him, standards do not change based on results.

“Qualification Is Important, But We’re Not Here Just to Qualify”

“Qualification is important, but we're not here just to qualify. We want to seal the top spot,” Rangarajan said, as quoted by Cricbuzz. He stressed that qualifying does not make it easier to move on from a loss. “So, brushing this result under the carpet isn't easier just because we've qualified,” he added.

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He continued by explaining the mindset of the group. “They're all professionals. We need to understand what the conditions are. We need to find solutions,” Rangarajan said. He also noted that his reaction would be the same even if the next matches were must-win. “So, if we needed to win the next two games, I would, as coach, react the same way as I'd react now.”

Rangarajan also praised the team’s overall performance so far. “But it's also important to acknowledge how well we've played over the last six games,” he said. He felt a loss like this helps the group reflect and improve. RCB remain top of the table with 10 points and a net run rate of +1.236, with matches against Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz still to come.

Match 15 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 will see Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCB W) take on Delhi Capitals Women (DC W) at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Saturday, January 24. The two sides previously met in Navi Mumbai, where Bengaluru secured an emphatic eight-wicket win. Led by Smriti Mandhana, RCB W have been unbeaten in all five of their matches so far. Fresh off a dominant victory against Gujarat Giants Women, they aim to maintain their momentum and head into the playoffs with supreme confidence.

Delhi Capitals Women, meanwhile, are struggling at the bottom of the points table. Their only two wins so far have come while chasing, both by seven-wicket margins. Led by Jemimah Rodrigues, the Capitals face a daunting challenge against the in-form RCB W. As the league phase reaches its final stages, every game is crucial, and Delhi will be eager to turn their fortunes around and secure a much-needed victory to boost morale and improve their playoff prospects.

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WPL 2026, Match 15, RCB W vs DC W: Live Streaming Details

WPL 2026, Match 15, RCB W vs DC W: Probable Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women

Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (wk), Gautami Naik, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell

Delhi Capitals Women

Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Deeya Yadav, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Lucy Hamilton, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma

The Women’s Premier League 2026 shifts to Vadodara, where Gujarat Giants Women will take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women at the BCA Stadium on Monday, January 19. RCB Women have enjoyed a flawless campaign so far, winning all four of their matches convincingly. Led by Smriti Mandhana, the team has excelled in all departments, dominating the points table with authority. Another victory in this fixture would virtually seal their place in the playoffs and further boost their confidence heading into the latter stages of the tournament.

Gujarat Giants Women, meanwhile, have shown promising signs in the early part of the season. With two wins from four matches, they currently sit third on the points table and remain firmly in contention. As the league enters its crucial phase, the Giants will be eager to build momentum and strengthen their playoff prospects. Facing an in-form RCB side presents a stiff challenge, but it also offers a valuable opportunity for Gujarat to make a statement and improve their standing.

See Also: Watch: Hardik Pandya sends special message to RCB player during WPL 2026

WPL 2026 Match 12, RCB-W vs GG-W: Live Streaming Details

WPL 2026 Match 12, RCB-W vs GG-W: Probable Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women

Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (C), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (WK), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell

Gujarat Giants Women

Beth Mooney (WK), Sophie Devine, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Ayushi Soni, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who have already qualified for the WPL2026 playoffs, earned a new batting hero in each of their first five unbeaten games including Nadine de Klerk, Grace Harris, Radha Yadav, captain Smriti Mandhana, and against the Gujarat Giants on January 19, it was the most unexpected name- Gautami Naik, who played a sensational knock of 73 runs. 

Gautami Naik got the runs in just 55 balls at a strike rate of 132.73, thanks to her seven boundaries and one six. Meanwhile, the right-handed batter, after the end of the game, shared how he follows Hardik Pandya, the premier white-ball all-rounder of men’s cricket, as her idol.

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“OMG!! I just can’t express my feelings. Getting a message from my idol Hardik Pandya is special. I always want to copy him, and I want to bat like him all the time. I just love the way he goes into the middle and bats under pressure, keeping himself calm in that moment. That’s also my nature of playing. So, I try to keep myself in that same zone.” Gautami expressed that the video has gone viral

Hardik Pandya sends special message to Gautami Naik 

Gautami gets the special message video from Hardik, who spoke about feeling grateful for encouraging the young generation of players, besides congratulating the 27-year-old for her maiden half-century as the RCB side earned a vital 61-run win.

Watch the video here: 

A moment Gautami Naik will never forget 👌🏻

She wasn't ready for this surprise from her cricketing idol 🔝📱

A moment to remember forever. ✨🏏#TATAWPL | #KhelEmotionKa | #GGvRCB | @hardikpandya7 | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/Th9z5nmzqY

— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 20, 2026

“Hi Gautami. Hardik here. I got to know that I am your cricketing idol. First of all, it feels great to inspire a lot of young cricketers, and many congratulations on your first half-century. I just hope going forward in life, you do better for your franchise and your country. Keep playing the game, be disciplined, and keep enjoying.” Hardik mentioned in a personal video.  

“It wasn’t expected at all. It seems like I have achieved something in life at the moment. I surely want to meet him someday. To Hardik Sir, I love you as a player and hope you keep encouraging us in the same manner. And all the best for the upcoming T20 World Cup, where I hope to see you giving the best.” Gautami addressed.

Brief Scores: RCBW 178/6 (Gautami Naik 73, Richa Ghosh 27, Kashvee Gautam 2/38) beat GGW 117/8 (Ashleigh Gardner 54, Sayali Satghare 3/21, Nadine de Klerk 2/17) by 61 runs.

The Navi Mumbai leg of the Women’s Premier League 2026 is nearing its conclusion, with Gujarat Giants Women set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women in Match 9 on Friday, January 16, at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy. Gujarat have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround this season compared to their previous campaigns. After starting with back-to-back victories and collecting four early points, they narrowly lost a close contest against Mumbai Indians Women. Heading into their final match in Navi Mumbai, the Giants will be eager to finish this phase on a high note with another strong performance.

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women, meanwhile, have looked well-drilled and united in their outings so far. The Smriti Mandhana-led side began their campaign by defeating the defending champions and followed it up with an impressive win against UP Warriorz. With two victories already under their belt, RCB Women will be keen to extend their winning streak and make it three in a row. Given the form of both sides, the upcoming clash promises to be a competitive and entertaining contest as the Navi Mumbai leg draws to a close.

WPL 2026 Match 9, GG W vs RCB W: Live Streaming Details

WPL 2026 Match 9, GG W vs RCB W: Probable Playing XI

Gujarat Giants Women (GG W):

Beth Mooney (WK), Sophie Devine, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Ayushi Soni, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCB W):

Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (C), Dayalan Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (WK), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell