Kanika Ahuja helps Royal Challengers Bangalore end barren run

It might have taken six games but it’s happened. Royal Challengers Bangalore have finally won a game in the Women’s Premier League, capping off an insipid start to the tournament with a fine five-wicket win over UP Warriorz in Navi Mumbai.

Harmanpreet Kaur famously called Smriti Mandhana “lucky” with tosses and she again was today, sending in UP Warriorz on a fresh wicket and bowling them out for a below-par 135 in the 20th over. But Mandhana’s patchy form this season meant that RCB were off to another wobbly start before the middle order stepped up, with Kanika Ahuja top-scoring with 46 as her side chased the target with 12 balls to spare.

Brief Scores:

UP Warriorz135 in 19.3 overs (Grace Harris 46; Ellyse Perry 3-16, Sophie Devine 2-23) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 136/5 in 18 overs (Kanika Ahuja 46; Deepti Sharma 2-26) by 5 wickets