In a season that started with high hopes and a radical overhaul of the team, UP Warriorz find themselves on the brink of a disappointing departure from Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. The 18th match of the tournament, hosted on Thursday at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, was a grim confirmation of their struggles. In front of a clinic Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) On the women’s side, the Warriorz suffered a crushing eight-wicket defeat, a result that effectively sealed RCB’s direct ticket to the final while leaving UPW languishing at the bottom of the table.
UP Warriorz’s sad run continues against RCB in WPL 2026
The Vadodara match was a microcosm of the Warriorz’s entire campaign. Despite a promising start where the captain Meg Lanning (41) and Deepti Sharma (55) shared an opening stand of 74 runs – their first 50-plus run partnership of the season – the team collapsed from a position of strength. Following Lanning’s dismissal by Nadine de Klerkthe middle order collapsed, losing wickets in clumps, a recurring nightmare for the franchise this year. They eventually limped to a below-par score, 143/8.
The defense was just as fragile. RCB Grace Harrisplaying with a point to prove against his former peers, dismantled the UPW attack with a total of 75 from 37 balls. Alongside Smriti MandhanaUnbeaten on 54, RCB chased down the target in just 13.1 overs. The ‘muted non-celebration’ at the fall of Harris’ wicket late in the match speaks volumes; the damage was already done and the Warriorz knew their playoff dreams were falling mathematically into oblivion.
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Meg Lanning reveals key factors behind UP Warriorz’s early elimination from WPL 2026
After the game, Lanning, calm but clearly disappointed, was candid about the factors that derailed their season. Backed by a lack of consistency, Lanning noted that although the team showed “flashes of brilliance“, they failed to maintain their momentum.”Every time we get some momentum with the bat and build a partnership, we kind of lose it and then we lose a few wickets in clumps.“, Lanning remarked in the post-match press conference. This inability to “finish” matches has proven fatal in a tournament where the margins for error are slim.
Lanning also addressed the elephant in the room: the overall restructuring of the team. After keeping only the unclogged dough Shweta Sehrawatthe franchise hit the reset button during the mega auction, bringing in Lanning as captain and Abhishek Nayar as a full-time head coach for the first time. Although Lanning refused to use the redesign as an excuse, she acknowledged the difficulty of creating synergy in a short period of time.
She added: “It’s always a challenge for every team that comes together after a mega auction… you have to try to put it together as best you can..”
Ultimately, the Warriorz’s run in 2026, marked by five losses in seven games, highlights the growing pains of a new unit. Despite the world-class twist of Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti’s individual brilliance, lack of consistent killer instinct left them lagging behind the league leaders.
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This article was first published on WomenCricket.comA Cricket Schedules business.
