Thanks to a stunning late assault from Nadine de Klerk, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pulled off a dramatic three-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2206 Women’s Premier League (WPL) opener at the DY Patil Stadium on Friday. 

After picking 4-26 and helping RCB keep MI to 154/6, the seam-bowling all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, including 20 runs off the final four deliveries – two fours and as many sixes – to steer RCB home on the last ball.

Coming in at 63/4, a calm and composed Nadine held her nerve and carried her form from the recent World Cup into a high-class knock that turned the game on its head. Her nerveless hitting under pressure, along with being given three reprieves in the 19th over, ensured RCB began the season with a thrilling victory and set the tone for a tournament that promises more intensity and drama.

RCB’s chase began with a bang as Grace Harris pulled Nat Sciver-Brunt to the fence on the first ball, before Smriti Mandhana picked a boundary. After the duo took four each off Shabnim Ismail, Grace continued to attack by picking a six and a four off Nicola Carey, while Smriti swivelled her for successive boundaries, as RCB reached 40/0 in three overs.

But Shabnim pulled things with some tight bowling and eventually struck in her second over when Smriti miscued a drive and was caught at for 18, while Grace holed out to long-on off Nat. RCB continued to lose wickets as Dayalan Hemalatha shuffled across to flick off Amanjot Kaur, but missed a straight delivery and was trapped lbw, while Radha Yadav was beaten comprehensively by a ripping googly from Amelia Kerr that crashed into the stumps.

Two balls later, Amelia became WPL’s leading wicket-taker when she tempted Richa Ghosh to play an ambitious lofted drive, and long-off took a fine leaping catch. Arundhati Reddy, after cracking a cut off Amanjot Kaur, survived an lbw chance off Amelia as replays showed the ball going over stumps.

Nadine’s show began when she lofted Nat over long-off for four, before thumping and creaming Saika Ishaque for successive boundaries. She followed it up by hammering a boundary down the ground off Nicola, before the all-rounder broke the 52-run stand by having Arundhati hole out to deep mid-wicket and then castled Shreyanka Patil.

The pressure was evident when Nat dropped Nadine’s catch off Shabnim at the start of the 19th over. To add salt to the wound, Nadine hammered a boundary down the ground. More drama happened when Nadine was dropped by Amelia at deep mid-wicket, and Kamalini fumbled in the run-out chance when her gloves dislodged the stumps.

After 11 runs came off the 19th over, Nadine kept RCB alive by lofting Nat over long-off for six, before pulling her for four. She brought up her fifty with a mighty slog over mid-wicket fence for six, before sealing a dramatic win for RCB by powering a missed yorker from Nat over her head for six to ensure the 2024 champions pulled off a heist and left the defending champions stunned.

Previously, Sajeevan Sajana top-scored with a counter-attacking 45 off 25 balls and made the most of being dropped twice early on as MI huffed and puffed their way to posting 154/6. On a tacky pitch, Lauren Bell’s incisive new-ball spell and Nadine, who later picked 4-22, reduced the defending champions to 67/4 after 11 overs.

But Sajana’s 82-run stand off 49 balls with Nicola (40) pushed them beyond the 150-mark. Lauren delivered a superb opening spell to give RCB the early edge. The England pacer bowled a brilliant maiden first over and constantly troubled Amelia Kerr via outswinger and fuller length balls before finally dismissing her for a scratchy four off 15 balls.

Lauren’s short of the length ball outside off-stump forced a desperate Amelia into a mistimed swipe, and the top-edge was caught by extra cover. G Kamalini kept MI going by punching off Linsey Smith twice for boundaries, before driving Lauren for another four.

When Linsey returned, Kamalini was quick to pull and sweep her for boundaries, as 13 runs came off the final power-play over. But RCB struck a crucial blow when Richa Ghosh’s sharp glovework stumped Nat Sciver-Brunt for just four.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur attempted to steady the innings, punching a boundary through midwicket before lofting another over extra cover. But Shreyanka Patil struck on her WPL comeback when Kamalini chopped on to her stumps for 32 while attempting to sweep off her.

Harmanpreet’s dismissal deepened MI’s troubles when she nicked behind a length delivery outside off-stump from Nadine de Klerk while trying to hit an expansive cover drive. RCB could have got another wicket if Dayalan Hemalatha and later substitute fielder Sayali Satghare hadn’t dropped Sajana’s catch.

It proved to be costly as Sajana lofted and slogged Radha Yadav for six and four, even as Nicola Carey slashed off her for another boundary. More runs came off Sajana’s willow when she pulled and lofted Arundhati Reddy for consecutive fours.

Despite Nadine’s return, Sajana continued her merry run by slashing and whipping for her boundaries before pulling through the gap for another four. Nicola, meanwhile, reverse-swept Shreyanka for four before going over Arundhati’s head for another boundary. But Sajana and Nicola were caught out in the final over off Nadine, though MI managed to get past 150, which wasn’t sufficient to save them from a loss.

Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 154/6 in 20 overs (Sajeevan Sajana 45, Nicola Carey 40; Nadine de Klerk 4-26, Lauren Bell 1-14) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 157/7 in 20 overs (Nadine de Klerk 63 not out, Grace Harris 25; Amelia Kerr 2-13, Nicola Carey 2-35) by three wickets