"Must credit RCB for their fight": Former cricketer Anjum Chopra on UP Warriorz thrilling win over RCB in WPL match

The UP Warriorz secured a nail-biting 12-run victory over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their Women's Premier League (WPL) match on Friday.

Despite a valiant effort from RCB, they ultimately fell short, scoring 213 runs before being bowled out in 19.3 overs.

"Every time an RCB batter walked in and scored runs, Deepti Sharma and her team must have been thinking, 'One more, one more, we have to pick ourselves up again and make sure we take a wicket.' That was the kind of contest RCB put up, and all credit to them. If you commend UP Warriorz for putting those runs on the board, you must credit RCB for their fight as well. But yes, that catch by Sneh Rana was crucial. I don't think anyone expected Sneh Rana to come out and follow in Richa Ghosh's footsteps, hitting the ball out of the ground--not once but three times. If that last shot had cleared the boundary for a six, the equation would have changed completely. It could have been anybody's game from there, but unfortunately, it didn't happen," said Chopra on JioHotstar.

The win was a significant one for UP Warriorz, while RCB's loss eliminated them from playoff contention.

The UP Warriorz set a formidable target of 226 runs, thanks to Georgia Voll's unbeaten 99 and Kiran Navgire's explosive 46 runs off just 16 balls. Georgia Wareham was the standout bowler for RCB, claiming two wickets in four overs while conceding 43 runs.

In response, RCB's Richa Ghosh played a blistering inning of 69 runs off 33 balls, but her efforts were in vain. Sabbhineni Meghana (27) and Ellyse Perry (28) were the only other notable contributors to RCB's score.

Sneh Rana's late cameo of 26 runs off six balls, including four consecutive sixes, threatened to snatch the win for RCB, but she was ultimately caught out on the boundary.

Sophie Ecclestone was the hero for UP Warriorz, taking three wickets for 25 runs to help her team secure the crucial win.

Former West Indies cricketer Stacy-Ann King lauded Richa Ghosh's 69 runs. She felt the stage was set for Richa to score, and she played well in the powerplay knock. She was aware of her shots and rotated the strike regularly after getting boundaries.

"The stage was perfectly set for this kind of inning from her. She played a well-paced, calculated knock--patient yet powerful. I liked how she built her innings until she got out. There were moments where you could see her centering herself, taking deep breaths, and reminding herself to stay in control. She knew her shot selection, when to find a single and when to go for a boundary. The match situation was tailor-made for her to steer RCB to victory," said King.

This was a much-needed win for RCB to qualify for the WPL finals. Batting first, UP Warriorz set a target of 226. Georgia Voll missed her well-deserved century, remaining not out on 99. Kiran Navgire played a blistering inning of 46 runs in just 16 balls, which took UP Warriorz to 225 runs.

Georgia Wareham was the pick of the bowlers, picking up two wickets in 4 overs and giving away 43 runs. Grace Harris supported Georgia Voll well in the power play with vital innings of 39 runs in 22 bowls.

While chasing, RCB scored 213 before getting all out in 19.3 overs. Richa Ghosh was the highest run scorer with 69 runs in just 33 balls, while Sabbhineni Meghana (27) and Ellyse Perry(28) were the only batters to score along with Richa Ghosh.

Sneh Rana almost won the match for RCB before getting out on the boundary. She scored 26 runs in just six balls, with a 433.3 strike rate. However, RCB was skittled out and lost the match. Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers for UPW, with 3/25. (ANI)