RCB’s middle order for WPL 2026: Powerful and full of potential

As the WPL comes closer, the Royal Challengers gear up to storm into swashbuckling action for the upcoming season. Today, we will delve into the engine of the team, known as the middle-order. Boasting a strong blend of experienced and young players, RCB can orchestrate a decent show in the center.

·      Richa Ghosh

The finisher, the destroyer and most importantly, the wild match-winner, Richa Ghosh will have to step up in the middle-order as RCB won’t be able to avail the services of the menacing Ellyse Perry. Richa has formerly shown what she is capable of and her phenomenal show against Sri Lanka in the fourth T20I of the recently concluded series against Sri Lanka was another reminder of what she brings to the mix. Ghosh brags about a tally of 625 runs from 26 innings, scoring at a strike rate of 150.96. She has also crossed the 1k run milestone in WT20Is, hammering them at a staggering rate of 144.17. Richa’s 51 off 29 balls against Delhi Capitals in 2024 started a revolution that would land RCB their first WPL trophy.

·      Arundhati Reddy

The final T20I of the series against Sri Lanka witnessed Arundhati Reddy going absolutely berserk with the bat. Her 27* off 11 allowed India to tot up 175 on the board. Reddy is an adept all-rounder with the dexterity of chiming in with crucial knocks whenever her team needs her to deliver. She has 37 WT20I wickets while her WPL tally reads 14 scalps at an economy rate of 8.25.

·      Pooja Vastrakar

Vastrakar brings with her a depth good enough to stabilise the RCB middle-order. With 171 WPL runs already in her repertoire scored at a strike rate of 116.66, Pooja can be a fine option to extend the innings. More importantly, her experience as a quick can be game-changing for the Royal Challengers. With the ball in her hand, Vastrakar has been mighty economical, conceding only 7.08 runs an over.

·      Nadine de Klerk

The South African all-rounder broke quite a few Indian hearts during the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. However, she has shown the maturity to lead the battery in the middle-order in recent times. With 667 runs at an average of 27.79 and a strike rate of 106.89, De Klerk is a phenomenal gamechanger in WT20Is. Even with the ball, she has claimed 52 wickets at an economy rate of 7.31. Nadine will be hoping to turn things around on her homecoming to RCB for a second time

·      Pratooysha Kumar

Karnataka’s rising sensational Pratyoosha can be a solid addition to the middle-order. She brings in a sense of stability, can play deep if needed and more importantly, she can score runs quickly enough. Her glovework is equally impressive.