Smriti Mandhana usually dominates the batting crease. On Monday, however, the Indian opener took a back seat. She watched her Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Grace Harris unleash a brutal assault. Harris thrashed the UP Warriorz bowlers all around the park in Navi Mumbai.
Harris' Power-Hitting Display
The Australian batter played a spectacular innings. Her 40-ball 85 powered RCB to a convincing nine-wicket victory. The team chased down the target with 47 balls to spare. This win marked RCB's second consecutive triumph in the Women's Premier League.
Chasing Down 144 With Ease
RCB needed 144 runs to win. Grace Harris entered a zone of pure dominance from the very first ball. She started her innings with a confident straight drive for four off Deepti Sharma. The opener continued her relentless onslaught, decimating the UPW bowling attack.
Harris made her aggressive intentions perfectly clear in the fourth over. She smashed three boundaries off bowler Kranti Gaud. That was merely a preview of the destruction to come.
Demolishing the Bowling Attack
The right-hander then tore into West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin. Harris reached her half-century in just 22 deliveries. She hammered three sixes and three fours in a single eight-ball over. Her explosive batting took RCB to 78 for no loss at the end of the powerplay. She personally scored 32 runs in that devastating over.
UP Warriorz's Fightback Falls Short
Earlier in the match, the RCB bowlers delivered a disciplined performance. They reduced UP Warriorz to a precarious 50 for 5 in just 8.2 overs. The game seemed to be slipping away from UPW.
All-rounders Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin staged a remarkable recovery. The pair fought back with an unbeaten 93-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Sharma remained not out on 45, while Dottin finished on 40. Their efforts lifted UPW to a total of 143 for 5.
Despite this late fightback, the target proved insufficient against Harris' blistering knock. Smriti Mandhana provided steady support at the other end, finishing unbeaten on 47. RCB comfortably reached 145 for 1 in only 12.1 overs.
The final scorecard tells the story. UP Warriorz scored 143 for 5, with Deepti Sharma 45 not out and Deandra Dottin 40 not out. Nadine de Klerk took 2 for 28, and Shreyanka Patil claimed 2 for 50. Royal Challengers Bengaluru replied with 145 for 1 in 12.1 overs, thanks to Grace Harris' magnificent 85 and Smriti Mandhana's 47 not out.
