Facing elimination after a series of home defeats, UP Warriorz took to the field with nothing to lose. Their carefree attitude paid off as they defeated the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, by 12 runs in Match 18 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, held at Ekana Stadium on Saturday. The match featured an incredible aggregate of 438 runs, leading to both teams being knocked out and confirming playoff spots for Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, and Mumbai Indians.

With this victory, UP Warriorz ended their campaign with eight points, simultaneously securing playoff positions for Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants with matches still remaining.

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In a standout performance, Georgia Voll delivered an impressive unbeaten 99 runs off 56 balls as UP Warriorz posted a record-breaking total of 225/5 in 20 overs—the highest in Women’s Premier League history.

RCB launched a fierce attempt at the largest chase in WPL history, targeting 226 runs. They came impressively close, led by explosive innings from Richa Ghosh, who scored 69 off just 33 balls, and Sneh Rana, who added a quick 26 runs. Richa’s dismissal at a critical moment, when RCB was at 170 for 5 after recovering from 80 for 4, proved pivotal. Sneh’s blitzkrieg included a staggering 28 runs off Deepti Sharma in a high-stakes final over, bringing the equation down to 15 runs from the last six balls. However, with Renuka Singh’s wicket falling early in the over, RCB ultimately fell short by 12 runs.

Initially, RCB started strong, reaching 70/2 before the end of the powerplay despite losing their captain, Smriti Mandhana, early. Richa took control, unleashing a flurry of remarkable shots while exploiting the shorter boundaries to hammer big sixes. Her departure was a significant setback for RCB’s ambitions.

For UP Warriorz, Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma were instrumental in dismantling the RCB batting lineup, taking three wickets each for 25 and 50 runs, respectively, as they exerted pressure that led to regular dismissals.

Earlier in the match, UP Warriorz, motivated to conclude their campaign with a win, capitalized on lackluster RCB bowling to post a record score, surpassing the previous highest of 223/5 set by Delhi Capitals against RCB in 2023.

Georgia Voll’s phenomenal knock included 17 fours and a six, achieving a striking rate of 176.78. She narrowly missed out on a maiden century, finishing on 99 not out, tying for the joint-highest individual score in WPL history alongside Sophie Devine. Throughout her innings, she built significant partnerships, including a remarkable 77-run stand with Grace Harris and a 71-run partnership with Navgire.

Choosing to bat first, UP Warriorz found their rhythm early with Grace Harris and Voll pounding the RCB bowlers, accumulating 67 runs in just six overs—a record for this season’s power play.

Harris started explosively, scoring boundaries on the first two deliveries from Kim Garth and following up with a six off Renuka Singh. Although she was run out after scoring 39 runs from 22 balls, UP were in a commanding position at 77/1 by the eighth over.

Georgia Voll, continuing her assault, found gaps easily, hitting multiple boundaries, while a similarly aggressive Kiran Navgire contributed 46 runs off just 16 balls before being caught trying to hit another maximum.

Voll reached her fifty from 31 balls, featuring nine fours and a six in her innings. Chinelle Henry added 19 off 15 balls as RCB’s bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught, with the UP Warriorz losing two wickets dramatically in the final over, including a run out that left Voll stranded on 99.

Match Summary:
UP Warriorz: 225/5 in 20 overs (Georgia Voll 99*, Kiran Navgire 46, Grace Harris 39; Georgia Wareham 2-43)
defeated
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 213 all out in 19.3 overs (Richa Ghosh 69, Ellyse Perry 28, Sneh Rana 26; Sophie Ecclestone 3-25, Deepti Sharma 3-50, Chinelle Henry 2-39) by 12 runs.