"RCB back to basic, last season was a fluke" - Fans react as defending champions crash out of WPL 2025 in group stage after loss vs UPW

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faced the wrath of the fans online after being eliminated from the playoff race in the WPL 2025 on Saturday (March 8). The UP Warriorz (UPW) knocked out RCB, beating them by 12 runs at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Delhi Capitals (DC), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Gujarat Giants (GG) have advanced to the playoffs of WPL 2025, while the UP Warriorz and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have bowed out.

The defending champions (RCB) began the season well with two consecutive wins during the Vadodara leg of the tournament. RCB's campaign nosedived during the matches at their home venue, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where they suffered four losses on the trot.

They arrived in Lucknow hoping to keep their playoff chances alive, but UPW put on a strong batting performance to eliminate them. Opener Georgia Voll played a magnificent knock of 99* (56) and helped the UP side reach a massive total of 225/5 in the first innings. Richa Ghosh (69) and a couple of other batters fought hard in the steep chase but RCB eventually fell short by 12 runs.

RCB fans were disappointed with their team's dismal WPL 2025 campaign. They expressed their reactions through X (formerly known as Twitter). Here are some of the reactions:

"RCB back to basics. Out of the tournament before their final league game. Last season was a fluke," a fan wrote.

The entire rcb franchise is just out of form for once in the last 18 years. And it was during the last year's WPL," another fan wrote.

"Super bad performance this year but some Great individual knock," a fan wrote.

"Dont be proud of the underperformjng job you guys did this time. First of all it was criminal to give away 225 runs. With this kind of bowling, can't win any league matches also," a fan wrote.

"As usual RCB nothing new now let them focus on Unboxing event," a fan wrote.

Feeling bad for Ellyse Perry. She has carried the batting line up of RCB this entire season," a fan wrote.

"IPL hasn't even started and RCB got eliminated already," a fan wrote.

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"It was big to lose out the top three wicket-takers of last season"- RCB captain Smriti Mandhana after group stage exit in WPL 2025

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Smriti Mandhana said injuries to their key players from last season made a huge difference, which dented their team's balance in WPL 2025. Reflecting on her team's performance this season, Mandhana said (via Cricbuzz):

"The way we started we thought it was going to be a good season but in the last 5 games we could not live up to the expectations which we had from ourselves. Definitely a lot to take back from this season."

She continued:

"It was big to lose out the top three wicket-takers of last season for us, losing them post auctions was huge but the replacements were really good, the way we started the tournament I thought we would be able to take the momentum. Lots of positives; Richa the way she batted today and really happy with Sneh Rana, came in as replacement and to do that was terrific to watch."

RCB will face MI in their final match of WPL 2025 on Tuesday (March 11) at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.