RCB to clash with UPW in 5th match of WPL:Warriorz in search of first victory this season; Bengaluru eye top spot in the points table

The fifth match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 will see Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) take on UP Warriors (UPW) today at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM, with the toss taking place at 7 PM. RCB enter this contest with confidence after defeating defending champions Mumbai Indians in their opening game, while UP Warriors are coming off a narrow 10-run loss against Gujarat Giants. RCB vs UPW, head-to-head records in WPL The rivalry between RCB and UP Warriors has been closely fought so far. The two teams have faced each other six times in the WPL, and the head-to-head record is perfectly balanced. Both RCB and UP Warriors have won three matches each, highlighting how evenly matched the sides have been in previous encounters. RCB banking on Mandhana and de Klerk RCB captain Smriti Mandhana has been the team’s most consistent batter over the years. She has scored 664 runs in 27 matches for the franchise, with a highest score of 81, making her RCB’s leading run-scorer. In the bowling department, Shreyanka Patil has been impressive, picking up 20 wickets in 16 matches. The biggest boost for RCB in their last game came from Nadine de Klerk, who played a match-winning role with an unbeaten 63 runs and also claimed four wickets. RCB will hope she can deliver another all-round performance against UP Warriors. UP Warriors look to bounce back against RCB For UP Warriors, Deepti Sharma remains a key player. She has scored 508 runs in 26 matches, with a best of 88 not out. However, Deepti had a disappointing outing in the previous match against Gujarat Giants and was unable to make an impact despite being the most expensive Indian player at the WPL auction, bought for ₹3.2 crore. UP’s bowling attack is led by England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who has taken 38 wickets in 26 matches and continues to be their biggest strength. Dy Patil, Navi Mumbai – Pitch weather report The DY Patil Stadium pitch is known to favour batters, often producing high-scoring games. Earlier this season, RCB successfully chased 155 runs here against Mumbai, while UP scored 197 while chasing 208. Out of the three matches played at this venue so far this season, teams batting first have won twice, while one match has been won by the chasing side. The weather in Navi Mumbai is expected to remain clear, with no rain forecast and temperatures ranging between 19 and 32 degrees Celsius. Probable playing XIs Royal Challengers Bangalore: Smriti Mandhana (c), Grace Harris, D Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Prema Rawat, Lancie Smith, Lauren Bell. UP Warriors: Meg Lanning (c), Deandra Dottin, Phoebe Litchfield, Kiran Navgire, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud.