Women's Premier League
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women vs UP Warriorz Prediction & Betting Tips
RCB-W Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women
UPW UP Warriorz
BCA Stadium Kotambi, Vadodara
Our pre-match predictionTable-toppers meet must-win desperation at Kotambi. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women have already sealed their playoff spot with a 5-2 record and 10 points, but arrive on a two-match losing streak. UP Warriorz sit 5th at 2-4, needing to win their final two matches to have any shot at the knockouts. Smriti Mandhana has 236 runs this WPL season. Phoebe Litchfield leads the Orange Cap race with 243 runs for UPW. RCB won the reverse fixture by 9 wickets on January 12 - but that was before losing Perry and Vastrakar.
RCB Womens WPL 2026: Qualified but Stuttering
RCB stormed through the first half of the league stage, winning five straight to become the first team to qualify for WPL 2026 playoffs. Their campaign has since hit turbulence - two consecutive defeats have raised questions about depth.
- Match 1 vs MI (Jan 9) - Won by 3 wickets. De Klerk 63* and 4-26 was the match-winner in a last-ball thriller.
- Match 5 vs UPW (Jan 12) - Won by 9 wickets. Grace Harris 85 and Mandhana 47* dismantled UPWs 143/5 with ease.
- Match 7 vs GG (Jan 16) - Won by 38 runs. Posted 168 and bowled GG out. Comfortable.
- Match 9 vs DC (Jan 17) - Won by 5 wickets. Mandhana 96 off 61 balls narrowly missed a maiden WPL century.
- Match 11 vs GG (Jan 20) - Won by 5 wickets. Gautami Naik 73 anchored the chase after early wickets.
- Match 15 vs DC (Jan 24) - Lost by 7 wickets. Nandani and Wolvaardt starred as DC ended the winning streak. RCB posted their lowest WPL total.
- Match 16 vs MI (Jan 26) - Lost by 15 runs. Sciver-Brunts historic 100* (first WPL century) set 199. Ghoshs 90 off 50 balls nearly pulled off the chase but RCB fell short at 184/9.
Key concern: Ellyse Perry withdrew for personal reasons before the tournament, and Pooja Vastrakar is out with a hamstring injury for at least two weeks. That removes two front-line all-rounders from the XI. Sayali Satghare replaced Perry, but the depth in the middle order and death bowling is visibly thinner. The collapse to 35/5 against MI on January 26 before Ghoshs rescue act exposed the fragility.
UP Warriorz WPL 2026: Litchfield and Lanning Lead the Fight
UP Warriorz have had a turbulent campaign - three straight losses to start, then two wins against MI, before another heavy defeat to Gujarat Giants. Their form reads LLLWWL across six matches.
- Match 2 vs GG (Jan 10) - Lost by 10 runs. Litchfield smashed 78 off 40 balls (8 fours, 5 sixes) but UPW fell short chasing 208.
- Match 5 vs RCB (Jan 12) - Lost by 9 wickets. Posted 143/5 but RCB chased it down with ease. Harris and Mandhana dominated.
- Match 6 vs DC (Jan 14) - Lost by 7 wickets. Lanning top-scored with 53 off 35 but DC chased 155 comfortably.
- Match 8 vs MI (Jan 15) - Won by 7 wickets. First win of the season. Harleen Deol 64* guided the chase.
- Match 10 vs MI (Jan 17) - Won by 22 runs. Lanning 70 off 45, Litchfield 61 off 37 combined to post 187. Bowling held firm.
- Match 14 vs GG (Jan 22) - Lost by 45 runs. Sophie Devine 50* for GG, UPW bowled out for 108. Gayakwad (GG) took key wickets.
Key concern: Consistency. UPW have beaten only Mumbai Indians this season. Against quality sides - RCB, DC, GG - they have lost all four encounters. The batting collapses when Litchfield and Lanning both fail, as the 108 all out against GG demonstrated. Deepti Sharma has been quiet with bat and ball. Their net run rate of -0.769 is the worst in the tournament.
Key Players to Watch
| Player | Team | Role | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smriti Mandhana | RCB | Opener/Captain | 236 runs in 7 innings, SR 133 |
| Richa Ghosh | RCB | WK-Batter | 90 off 50 vs MI (Jan 26) |
| Phoebe Litchfield | UPW | Opener | 243 runs in 6 innings, Orange Cap leader |
| Meg Lanning | UPW | Captain/Batter | 1000+ career WPL runs, 70 off 45 vs MI |
| Sophie Ecclestone | UPW | Left-arm Spin | World-class spinner on spin-friendly Kotambi |
Head-to-Head Record
Overall WPL H2H: RCB lead 4-3 across all seasons.
However, conditions in Vadodara (slower pitch, dew factor) differ significantly from Navi Mumbai.
Venue and Conditions
BCA Stadium Kotambi, Vadodara has produced challenging conditions in WPL 2026. The black-soil surface plays slow and low, with teams bowled out for 109 and 108 in recent matches. Spinners have dominated - Sophie Ecclestone (UPW) and bowlers like Gayakwad have thrived. Dew under lights is a significant factor in evening matches, making the toss crucial. The team chasing typically benefits from reduced grip for spinners in the second innings. High of 29C, no rain expected.
Why RCB Are Favourites
Our Prediction
UP Warriorz have the individual talent to cause an upset. Litchfield (243 runs, Orange Cap leader) and Lanning are a formidable top-order combination, and Ecclestone on a spin-friendly Kotambi surface is a genuine threat. Their must-win desperation adds intensity.
But RCB have beaten UPW convincingly this season (9 wickets on January 12), lead the H2H 4-3, and remain the strongest overall squad despite Perry and Vastrakars absences. Ghoshs 90 off 50 vs MI proves the depth extends beyond the openers. The two-match losing streak is a concern, but RCBs season body of work - five wins in their first five matches - is more predictive than two bad results.
Prediction: RCB Women to win
Confidence: 55%
