WPL 2026 opener delivers last-ball thriller, experts hail Nadine de Klerk’s all-round performance, ‘We wanted WPL 2026…’

Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a thrilling last ball victory over Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians, thanks to an impressive all-round performance by Nadine de Klerk

WPL 2026, RCB, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians, MI, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nadine de Klerk, Mithali Raj, Katey Martin, Arundhati Reddy, — Nadine de Klerk

New Delhi: WPL Season 4 began started on high as Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a thrilling last ball victory over Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians. Speaking on JioHotstar’s Match Centre Live, cricket experts Mithali Raj and Katey Martin broke down the key momentum swings and highlighted Nadine de Klerk’s composure and all-round performance.

Mithali Raj opened up on the thrilling opening match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, “We were talking during the game about wanting the match to be a real nail-biter, one that goes right down to the wire, and that’s exactly what happened, right till the last ball. There were several moments in the game where RCB had Mumbai Indians under pressure. For the longest time in the first innings, up until the 15th over, RCB had a grip on the game by picking up early wickets and breaking the MI top order. However, that pressure was released in the final five overs.”

“RCB also started well in the powerplay, despite losing wickets and not having any substantial partnerships early on. The partnership between Nadine de Klerk and Arundhati Reddy really brought the game back for RCB. This is exactly how we want TATA WPL Season 4 to begin, and it certainly delivered.”

Mithali also spoke about the partnership between De Klerk and Arundhati Reddy

The former India women’s captain also reflected on Nadine de Klerk’s stand with Arundhati Reddy, “Nadine not only has a strong awareness of her own game, but she has also delivered these impactful knocks consistently, which speaks volumes about the quality and skill she brings. The partnership with Arundhati Reddy is something we really need to highlight, it wasn’t just about Nadine batting till the end. She needed someone to play a supporting role, and Arundhati did that exceptionally well. They had to build that partnership for Nadine to play such an impactful innings. Without that support, she may have been dismissed much earlier. Because of that partnership, Nadine knew she could take the game deep and push it till the final over.”

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Katey Martin on De Klerk’s all-round performance

Speaking on Match Centre Live, Katey Martin broke down Nadine de Klerk’s match-winning performance, “I think there was real clarity in the way Nadine went about her innings. She knows she can back herself to clear the ropes, and that confidence is crucial. We’ve spoken so much about the importance of Nadine de Klerk. Her bowling was outstanding in the first innings; she knew exactly what worked from a bowler’s perspective, and she carried that awareness into her batting. She produced something special under pressure and was probably the only player who truly held her nerve throughout the day.”

Katey further said, “In moments like these, it comes down to who can handle the biggest pressure situations, and we’ve seen Nadine do it before. She’s banked that confidence over the last 18 months. Also, when a player has the hot hand at the other end, it’s easy to fall out of rhythm, but I thought Arundhati Reddy handled that brilliantly. Her contribution, including those two boundaries, especially the four off the last ball of the penultimate over to get Nadine back on strike was a crucial moment in the game.”