RCB out to kick on after dramatic opening-day win

Following a thrilling last-ball victory, Royal Challengers Bengaluru aim to build momentum against UP Warriorz in a historically even WPL rivalry.

RCB's win over defending champions Mumbai Indians was sealed by Nadine de Klerk's finishing masterclass. However, their batting felt the absence of Ellyse Perry (withdrawn for personal reasons) and an injury delaying Pooja Vastrakar's comeback. The new opening pair of Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana showed promise, but RCB's batting lineup faced challenges.

At 65/5 in a sub-par chase, de Klerk emerged as the hero, hitting 6,4,6,4 against Nat Sciver-Brunt to secure an unlikely win. While bowling match-ups were suboptimal, batting remains the immediate focus for improvement.

UP Warriorz, meanwhile, seek their first points after a narrow 10-run loss to Gujarat Giants. Chasing a record 208, they reached 197, powered by Phoebe Litchfield's explosive 78. Their batting showed spirit despite Indian batters' collective failure, but the bowling unit struggled, conceding 200+ runs. Only Sophie Ecclestone (2/32) had an economical outing.

When: Monday, January 12 at 7:30 PM IST
Where: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
What to expect: A flat pitch conducive to high-scoring cricket.
Head to head: RCB 3-3 UPW

Royal Challengers Bangalore: May consider bolstering their batting despite the win.
Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana (C), Georgia Voll/Linsey Smith, D Hemalatha, Grace Harris, Richa Ghosh, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Lauren Bell

UP Warriorz: Likely to retain the same XI after a competitive performance.
Probable XI: Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning (C), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Deandra Dottin, Shweta Sehrawat (wk), Shikha Pandey, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Kranti Gaud