Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) face a must-win clash against UP Warriorz (UPW) on Saturday after four consecutive home defeats. Another loss would push them closer to replicating their disappointing record from the inaugural season. Interestingly, they broke a similar losing streak against UPW in WPL 2023 and will hope to do the same this time to stay in contention for a top-three finish.

RCB enjoyed the backing of nearly 28,000 passionate fans in Bengaluru, yet they failed to capitalize on home conditions. Losing all four tosses didn’t help, but their over-reliance on Ellyse Perry remains the bigger issue. Perry has carried the team’s batting with 295 runs at an incredible average of 98.3, frequently wearing the tournament’s Orange Cap. However, the rest of the top four combined have managed only 358 runs at an average of 22.37. Without Smriti Mandhana’s match-winning 81 and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge’s maiden fifty, RCB’s batting struggles appear even more glaring.

UP Warriorz have also battled inconsistency at the top. They have changed their opening combination three times in the last four matches, searching for stability around Grace Harris. Georgia Voll’s recent half-century offers some hope, but their unbalanced squad has often left finishers with too much to do in the final overs. Though thrilling performances like Chinelle Henry’s blitz against Delhi Capitals and Sophie Ecclestone’s last-over heroics against RCB provided sparks, UPW struggled to build sustained momentum.

Currently, RCB (-0.244 NRR) and UPW (-0.785 NRR) sit close in the standings, separated only by net run rate. However, RCB have a game in hand, giving them a slight edge. For UPW, the loss to Gujarat Giants has made their playoff chances heavily dependent on external results.

Match Details

📅 Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM IST
🏟️ Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

Pitch and Conditions

Dew is expected to play a major role in the evening clash, reinforcing the trend of teams opting to chase.

Team News & Predicted XIs

UP Warriorz

Gouher Sultana has bowled only one over in two games, conceding 16 runs. The team may replace her with Rajeshwari Gayakwad or an additional pacer.

🔹 Probable XI: Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Vrinda Dinesh, Deepti Sharma (c), Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Uma Chetry (wk), Chinelle Henry, Sophie Ecclestone, Gouher Sultana/Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kranti Goud

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Skipper Smriti Mandhana recently dismissed the idea of retiring out Raghvi Bist after her slow start against Delhi Capitals. However, in this do-or-die clash, RCB might consider strategic changes.

🔹 Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Raghvi Bist/S Meghana, Kanika Ahuja, Richa Ghosh (wk), Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Ekta Bisht/Prema Rawat