Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Nadine de Klerk revealed how she overcame her initial struggles to blast 63 and propel her team to a win against the Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season opener.
De Klerk was dropped twice and received a run-out reprieve in the penultimate over of the run chase, bowled by Shabnim Ismail. The South African all-rounder made the most of the missed opportunities to seal the game, which went down to the last ball.
“Obviously, I was lucky with a few chances going my way, but I’m just glad we got over the line,” De Klerk said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “It’s always great to start with a win. I think it’s just about coming in, really backing your skills and trying to execute.”
On a good batting surface at the DY Patil Stadium, RCB restricted MI to just 154. Lauren Bell was the wrecker-in-chief with the new ball. The right-arm medium pacer bowled brilliantly in the Powerplay, kept the pressure on and dismissed Amelia Kerr.
“I think we obviously started really well with Bell and the other bowlers in the Powerplay. I think she bowled exceptionally well,” De Klerk said in praise of Bell.
When Richa Ghosh was dismissed, RCB were in a spot of bother at 65/5. De Klerk, alongside Arundhati Reddy, forged a 52-run partnership for the sixth wicket. A couple of boundaries from Prema Rawat towards the end helped, and De Klerk acknowledged the support of her teammates.
“I think Arundhati (Reddy) batted beautifully, and then Prema came in and hit a few nice boundaries to take a little bit of pressure off me, which made my life a little easier. So, I guess in that last over I was probably going to try and keep it to myself and win us the game,” De Klerk added.
For More Sports Related News: Follow RevSportz
