The WPL (Women’s Premier League) 2026 season opener between Mumbai Indians women and Royal Challengers Bengaluru women completely belonged to star RCB all-rounder Nadine de Klerk. It is worth noting that the clash between the two sides saw Mumbai coming into bat first.
The side was left completely perplexed by RCB’s bowling attack, and De Klerk led from the front. In the four overs that she bowled, De Klerk conceded 26 runs and took four wickets in the process as well. Furthermore, she also contributed significantly with the bat, going unbeaten on a score of 63* runs, propelling RCB to a thrilling victory.
Putting in an exceptional performance, the all-rounder became only the second player in WPL history to score 50+ runs and take four+ wickets in a WPL match after India all-rounder Deepti Sharma.
Nadine de Klerk shared her thoughts after the game
Naturally, Nadine de Klerk won the Player of the Match award for her exceptional performance in the clash against Mumbai. After the clash, she took centre stage and talked about her showing. It is worth noting that she chased down 18 runs in the last over, putting a thrilling end to the run chase.
“(On if the feeling has sunk in yet) It is probably going to take a couple of days. If it is your day, you have to ensure you cash in. Glad to get the win. (On her bowling) Just about coming in and backing your skills, and executing. She (Bell) bowled exceptional. Just sticking to my strengths – sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it does not. Probably a little frustrated at the beginning of my innings. Cricket is a funny game, you have to stay in the fight. On these grounds, on these batting wickets, you just need to cash in. Towards the back end, I was thinking of taking a bulk of the strike. Couple of important partnerships. Arundhati batted beautifully. A couple of boundaries (by Prema) were also very important,” De Klerk said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Also Read:
</div>
