WPL 2026: Smriti Mandhana wins toss, elects to bowl first against UP Warriorz

Smriti Mandhana (Pic: X/@RCBTweets)

In the WPL 2026 match against UP Warriorz, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

RCB will enter the clash on the back of a stunning victory in its season's opening match, whereas Warriorz will look to seal their first win of the league after suffering a defeat in the initial clash.

Mandhana said they have seen the dew come in late in the game, and things worked out well for them chasing in the previous match as well. She also heaped praise on Nadine de Klerk and is hopeful of getting new match-winners.

On the other hand, Warriorz' captain Meg Lanning said that even they would have opted to bowl first, but also said that the side has noticed that the teams batting first have received good results in the tournament so far. She added that her side batted very well to put on a great chase and did a lot of good things with the ball too, but unfortunately could not take many wickets of the opposition.

Ahead of the match, Bengaluru has made one change with Gautami Naik coming in place of Prema Rawat. UP Warriorz have made no change in the playing XI from the previous match.

The spotlight tonight will be on India's star all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who will be looking to bounce back after a quiet opening game.

Historically, this has been one of the most balanced rivalries in the WPL, with the head-to-head record standing deadlocked at three wins apiece. The pitch at DY Patil is expected to offer a fair contest between bat and ball, which makes for an even more enjoyable contest.

WPL 2026, RCB vs UPW: Confirmed Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (C), Grace Harris, Dayalan Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (WK), Nadine De Klerk, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.

UP Warriorz: Asha Shobhana, Shikha Pandey, Deandra Dottin, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning (C), Harleen Deol, Shweta Sehrawat (WK), Phoebe Litchfield, Kranti Goud.