RCB Bowl First vs UPW in Crucial WPL 2026 League Stage Finale

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and chose to bowl first against UP Warriorz in their final WPL 2026 league match. Already qualified for the playoffs, RCB aims to end their league stage on a high after two consecutive losses. UP Warriorz, led by Meg Lanning, face a must-win scenario and depend on other results to keep their playoff hopes alive. Captain Smriti Mandhana emphasized playing tactically, not emotionally, and welcomed back Pooja Vastrakar into the playing eleven.

Key Points: WPL 2026: RCB vs UPW Toss, Playing 11, Playoff Scenarios

  • RCB qualify for playoffs despite recent losses
  • UP Warriorz must win and rely on other results
  • Pooja Vastrakar returns for RCB
  • Meg Lanning leads UPW's must-win charge
2 min read

WPL 2026: RCB win toss, choose to to bowl first against UPW

RCB captain Smriti Mandhana opts to bowl against UP Warriorz. Get match playing XIs, toss update, and playoff qualification scenario for UPW.

"We will field first today... need to bowl in good areas. One thing I've mentioned is to think tactically, not emotionally. - Smriti Mandhana"

Vadodara, January 29

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bowl first against the Meg Lanning-led UP Warriroz in the 18th fixture of the ongoing Women's Premier League season 2026, on Thursday at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara.

RCB, who have already qualified for the WPL playoffs, are coming into the fixture on the back of two consecutive losses and will look to cap off their league-stage campaign with a win. UP Warriorz, on the other hand, have only won two matches in their WPL 2026 campaign so far. They are at the bottom of the WPL points table.

For the Meg Lanning-led side to reach the WPL playoffs, it's a straightforward scenario: win both matches convincingly and then rely on Gujarat Giants to knock out Mumbai Indians in their final game.

RCB vs UPW WPL match playing 11s

UP Warriorz playing 11: 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 playing 11: 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

After winning the toss, Smriti Mandhana said RCB need to bowl in the right areas and play tactically rather than emotionally, while keeping things simple after a strong start to the season. Mandhana also confirmed one change to the playing 11, with Pooja Vastrakar returning in place of Gautami Naik.

"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 comes back in place of Gautami, she had a one-year off, looking forward to her comeback. She's good to bat, bowling will take some time, we'll have a look at how things progressed," Mandhana said at the toss.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
UP Warriorz's situation is so tough. They have to win big and then hope for other results. Not easy against a strong RCB side, even if RCB has lost two. Lanning will need a captain's knock.
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Priyanka N
Mandhana's point about playing "tactically, not emotionally" is spot on. Sometimes after early wins, teams can get carried away. Need to get back to basics. Excited to see Shreyanka Patil bowl today!
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David E
Interesting toss decision. The pitch at Vadodara has been good for batting. RCB's bowling will be tested, especially with Harris and Voll in form. Should be a good contest.
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Arundhati R
As an RCB fan, I'm a bit worried about the two consecutive losses before playoffs. Momentum is key. Hope they use this match to fix any issues. UPW has nothing to lose, so they can be dangerous.
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Kiran H
Respectfully, I think RCB's middle order looks a bit thin today. Very dependent on Mandhana and Ghosh. If UPW's spinners like Ecclestone and Deepti get going early, it could be tricky chasing.
M
Meg L
Come on Warriorz! Long shot for the playoffs

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