WPL 2026 The season opener at the DY Patil Stadium was a night of pure theatre, starting with a star-studded opening ceremony and ending with a last-ball thriller. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) managed to outlast the recent champions, Mumbai Indians (MI)in a match that will be remembered for his individual brilliance and miraculous turnaround.
WPL 2026: Nadine de Klerk pulls off dramatic turnaround as RCB beat MI in thriller
The South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk He staged 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 pace required rising sharply and the MI bowling attack led by them. Nicola Carey and Amelia Kerrseems impenetrable.
De Klerk, who fell twice and survived a close run in the 19th over, took the game to the final with 18 runs needed off just 6 balls. After starting with two pesky dot balls Nat Sciver-Bruntthe equation was close to 18 from 4, but de Klerk remained ice cold under the stadium lights. He continued to dismantle defenses with consistency 6, 4, 6, 4He cleared the long boundary with great power before sealing victory in the last over to finish unbeaten with 63 off 44 balls*.
The victory was the culmination of a superb all-round performance by de Klerk, who had earlier dismantled Mumbai’s top order. after Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to field, de Klerk used the ‘spongy bounce’ of the DY Patil pitch to perfection, dismissing stars like Nat Sciver-Brunt and MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur to finish with career-best figures. 4/26.
Despite their early gains, Mumbai managed to post a competitive 154/6 thanks to a solid 83-run partnership between them. Sajeevan Sajana (45) and Nicola Carey (40). However, their efforts were overshadowed by the sheer will of de Klerk who single-handedly dragged RCB over the line in the final moments of the game. This 3-wicket win serves as a huge statement of intent for Bengaluru and proves that they have the temperament to win from any situation as they try to dethrone the reigning champions this season.
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WPL 2026: Mumbai Indians stunned late on Royal Challengers Bengaluru wave
Defending champions Mumbai Indians kept a tight grip on the match until the last burst turned their certain victory into a heartbreaking defeat. After a shaky start that saw them reduced to 67/4, the middle-order pair of Sajana and Carey played with great maturity, counter-attacking against the RCB spinners to take their total to 154.
Sajana was particularly aggressive, hitting seven boundaries and a six in his 25-ball 45, while Carey provided stability with a crucial 40. Their partnership gave the MI bowlers a target they felt confident in defending and for 19 overs it looked like they were right. Shabnim Ismail and Amelia Kerr played with discipline, taking wickets in succession and stifling the RCB chase, leaving the Bengaluru side needing 18 runs in the last four overs of the entire match.
However, the game changed within minutes as Nat Sciver-Brunt battled to contain the rampaging de Klerk in the final half of the night. Mumbai’s pitch, sharp for most of the evening, crumbled under the pressure of the death overs, with de Klerk’s two critical catches spilled just before the end, errors that would cost the game.
As the last ball raced towards the long-on fence for four, Mumbai Indians were left to reflect on missed opportunities and a rare game of failure. Bad luck for the loss though Harmanpreet Kaur’On the s side, the fighting spirit shown by their lower-middle order remains a positive result.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
Woowwwwww
What a game this is
Tight, continued to swing in both directions and just started a tournament @wplt20 needs
Cricket is a beautiful sport. Rejoice
Nadine de Klerk was you 🤩
Excellent @RCBTweets and @mipaltan
A fun start❤️❤️
— DK (@DineshKarthik) January 9, 2026
Great start for WPL. 🔥🔥🔥
Well done to RCB!
De Klerk keeps his promise.👌#WPL2026 #RCBvMI— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 9, 2026
You knew it at the Women’s World Cup – Nadine de Klerk is sure to be a game-changer wherever she goes. What a start for WPL!! Many firsts for this season @rcb definitely…
— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) January 9, 2026
NADINE DE CLERK DOESN’T REMEMBER HER NAME
— Kevin (@imkevin149) January 9, 2026
Nadine de Klerk! I know many would hate for me to say this, but it was very Lance Kluseneresque! So 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 no one else. I still haven’t recovered from the World Cup attack and he threw another punch against us.
What a player, but..#WPL2026
– Cricketologist (@AMP86793444) January 9, 2026
Build a statue of Nadine de Klerk. pic.twitter.com/EEUMJWpJ4L
— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) January 9, 2026
The first game of the season and what an exciting match it was ⚡🔥
– Great shots from Nadine de Klerk 🙌#Mivrcb #WPL2026 #nandinidekelerk pic.twitter.com/REDBUOHzZs
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) January 9, 2026
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
