"We have to play good cricket to come back": Coach Abhishek Nayar after UPW's loss to RCB

Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 13 (ANI): UP Warriorz (UPW) head coach Abhishek Nayar credited the opposition Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after facing a heavy nine-wicket defeat in their second Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 season on Monday at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
In the match, RCB had put UPW to bat first and had reduced them to 50/5 before Deepti Sharma (45*) and Deandra Dottin (40*) helped the team recover enough to reach a fighting 143/5, with Nadine de Klerk and Shreyanka Patil getting two wickets each.
In the chase, Grace Harris displayed some excellent ball-striking in her 40-ball 85, while Smriti stayed unbeaten at 47* towards the end. Grace and Mandhana compiled a 137-run partnership for the opening wicket. This win marked RCB's second victory in a row, while UPW suffered their second successive loss.
After the match, UP Warriorz head coach Abhishek Nayar acknowledged the opposition outplayed them in all aspects, praising the performances of Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana. He said it was a day when nothing went right for his team and stressed the need to play better cricket to bounce back.
"You have to hand it over to the opposition when they play better than you. I think they played better than us, not only Grace, but also the way Smriti batted. I feel they played better than us in all the departments-- with the ball, the bat and in the field. It was one of those days where nothing worked out for us. We have to play good cricket to come back," said Abhishek Nayar said during the post-match press conference.
Nadine de Klerk, who claimed bowling figures of 2-28 in 4 overs and helped RCB restrict the opposition to a manageable 143, said she trusts her skills in any conditions, noting that the conditions suited her varied bowling.
"I back my skills regardless of the conditions. I guess, these type of conditions suit my bowling quite well. I am not the quickest of bowlers and I am kind of mixing it up," de Klerk said after the match in the post-match press conference. (ANI)