WPL 2023, UPW vs RCB Highlights: Kanika Ahuja, Richa Ghosh guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to five-wicket win

Richa Ghosh hits Deepti Sharma for a six and follows it up with a boundary as RCB complete the 136-run chase with two overs to spare. 

RCB beat UP Warriorz by five wickets to secure their first win in WPL 2023. The win will keep RCB alive in the tournament.

Sophie Ecclestone gives UP Warriorz a much-needed breakthrough. She cleans up Kanika Ahuja for 46(30). 

Shreyanka Patil, however, hits her for a boundary as RCB reach 124/5 in 17 overs.

Deepti Sharma concedes five singles in her over as Royal Challengers Bangalore reach 119/4 after 16 overs. Kanika Ahuja is batting on 46(29), while Richa Ghosh is batting on 19(24). 

Sophie Ecclestone bowls a tight over and gives away just four runs in her over. 

However, RCB find two boundaries in the following over bowled by Grace Harris. One was hit by Richa Ghosh while the other one came in the form of byes. RCB: 114-4 (15 overs)

Kanika Ahuja hits Devika Vaidya for a six. Richa Ghosh then finishes the over with a boundary as she concedes 13 runs in her over. RCB: 101-4 (13 overs)

Kanika Ahuja keeps RCB in control as she hits Rajeshwari Gayakwad for three boundaries. RCB reach 88-4 after 12 overs. Ahuja is batting on 36(21). 

Grace Harris is hit for a couple of boundaries by Kanika Ahuja as nine runs come off her over. RCBW 75-4 (11 overs)

Sophie Ecclestone is introduced in the attack and she is hit for a boundary in the final ball of the over. RCB reach 66/4 at the halfway stage.

Deepti Sharma gets rid of Heather Knight as RCB are reduced to 60/4 after 9 overs. She falls for 24 (21). 

Rajeshwari Gayakwad comes to bowl her third over and keep things under control. She concedes six runs, which include a four by Heather Knight. RCB: 55-3 (8 overs) 

Rajeshwari Gayakwad is hit for a four by Heather Knight as she concedes 7 runs in her second over. 

Devika Vaidya is then introduced into the attack and she gets rid of Ellyse Perry straightaway. Perry falls for 10 (13) as RCB reach 49/3 after 7 overs.

Sophie Ecclestone comes into the attack and she starts with five-run over. Ellyse Perry welcomes with a boundary but only five runs come off her over. 

Anjali Sarvani then comes to bowl the fifth over and she concedes four runs. 

RCB reach 36-2 after 5 overs.   

Rajeshwari Gayakwad comes into the attack and she is hit for a couple of boundaries by Heather Knight. RCB: 27/2 (3 overs)

Smriti Mandhana's poor run continues as she is cleaned up for 0 by Deepti Sharma. 

Heather Knight is the new batter in and she opens her account by four. RCB: 18/2 (2 overs)

Just the start UP Warriorz were looking for as Grace Harris packs Sophie Devine for 14(6). 

Sophie had walked out to open the innings alongside Smriti Mandhana, and hit the spinner for a four, followed by a six, and a four. However, she is caught in the deep by Tahila McGrath. RCB: 14-1

The UP Warriorz innings is folded for 135 as Shreyanka Patil first removes Anjali Sarvani for 8(9). There is a run-out in the following delivery as Sophie Ecclestone look for three runs but only manage two. UPW: 135/10 (19.3 overs)

Megan Schutt comes to bowl the penultimate over and bowls a really good one. Sophie Ecclestone manages to get a boundary out off it as only nine runs come off it. UPW: 129/8 (19 overs)

Megan Schutt bowls her third over and concedes five runs. 

Ellyse Perry then removes Shweta Sehrawat in the next over as UP Warriorz reach 120/8 in 18 overs. 

Ellyse Perry strikes for the second time in the same over. She bangs it short, which takes the edge of Grace Harris' bat and is caught by Richa Ghosh. UPW: 103/7 (16 overs)

Grace Harris hits Renuka Thakur for a couple of fours to help UP Warriorz reach 100/5 in 15 overs.

However, Ellyse Perry strikes in the first ball of the next match as Deepti Sharma is caught by Shreyanka Patil for 22(19).

Deepti Sharma hits Sophie Devine for a couple of boundaries as she stitches a plus 50-plus stand. UP W reach 89/5 in 14 overs. 

The big hits keep coming for UP Warriorz as Grace Harris hits Asha Shobana for a couple of boundaries and a six. 16 runs come off the over. UPW: 79/5 (13 overs)  

Shreyanka Patil comes into the attack and Grace Harris welcomes her with a six, and follows it up with a boundary. Deepti Sharma finishes the over with a boundary. UPW 63/5 (12 overs)

Asha Shobana keeps thing tight as Grace Harris and Deepti Sharma take UP Warriorz to 48/5 in 11 overs.

Ellyse Perry concedes seven runs in her over as UP Warriorz reach 43/5 at the halfway stage.

Asha Shobana strikes as Simran Shaikh is dismissed for 2(9). She goes for the aerial route but mistimes her shot, which is brilliantly caught by Kanika Ahuja. UPW reach 36/5 in 9 overs.

Ellyse Perry is introduced in the attack and she starts with a one-run over. UP Warriorz reach 31-4 in 8 overs.

Asha Shobana strikes in her first over as she gets rid of Kiran Navgire for 22(26). She attempts for a slog sweep but is outdone by the spin as her shot balloons in the air, which is comfortably caught by Richa Ghosh.

Simran Shaikh is the new batter in. UPW: 30/4 (7 overs)

Renuka Singh bowls it full and Kiran Navgire pounces on it. Connects it from the middle of the blade, which results in a six over the long-off fence.

UPW gather 29 runs for the loss of three wickets in the powerplay.

Sophie Devine comes to bowl her third over and concedes just three runs, out of which one was a wide. UPW: 20/3 (5 overs)

Megan Schutt keeps it tight but is hit for a four by Kiran Navgire in the final ball. She bangs it short and it is pulled by Navgire for a boundary. UPW reach 17/3 after 4 overs.

Sophie Devine will continue from her end and she is hit for a boundary by Kiran Navgire. Slightly short drifting down the leg stump and Navgire hits it towards the fine leg region. UPW 13-3 (3 overs)

RCB are on a roll as Tahlia McGrath is dismissed for 2(2). She is caught-behind off Megan Schutt's ball as UP reach 5/3 after 2 overs.

Sophie Devine provides RCB with a perfect start as she traps Devika Vaidya LBW for a first-ball duck. The batter opts for a review and TV replay confirms it was clipping the leg stump. 

It's an umpire call, so the review remains.

Meanwhile, Devine picks her second wicket in the final ball of the over as Alyssa Healy is caught for 1 (3). UPW: 2/2 (1 over)

Devika Vaidya and Ellyse Perry kick-off the proceedings for UP Warriorz. 

Sophie Devine leads the attack for RCB. 

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Smriti Mandhana(c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Richa Ghosh(w), Shreyanka Patil, Disha Kasat, Megan Schutt, Asha Shobana, Renuka Thakur Singh, Kanika Ahuja

UP Warriorz: Alyssa Healy(w/c), Devika Vaidya, Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Tahlia McGrath, Simran Shaikh, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Both the team's have made one change each as RCB bring in Kanika Ahuja in place of Preeti Bose. 

UP Warriorz field Grace Harris in place of Shabnim Ismail.

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Smriti Mandhana wins toss, opts to bowl.

If we look at the UP camp, their skipper Alyssa Healy has been the star performer. She has scored 185 runs from four matches, with 47-ball 96 against the same opponent who they will be playing tonight being the highest. 

One thing that has hurt RCB the most is Smriti Mandhana's poor form. The star batter has struggled for runs, and has managed just 88 runs from five innings at a poor average of 17.60. 

It is very important for RCB that the skipper find some form or else it could well be curtains for them tonight.  

Royal Challengers Bangalore showed some fight but the fortune remained the same as they endured a six-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals.

UP Warriorz, on the other hand, were mauled by Mumbai Indians, defeating Alyssa Healy and Co. by eight wickets.

Hello and welcome to the LIVE coverage of the Women's Premier League match between UP Warriorz and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The match will start at 7:30 PM and the toss will take place half an hour earlier. Stay tuned for all updates from the match!