Navi Mumbai, Jan 16 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) maintained their perfect start to 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 with a 32-run victory over Gujarat Giants and moved to the top of the points table after a standout maiden five-wicket haul from off-spin bowling all-rounder Shreyanka Patil.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had recovered from a shaky start after losing four wickets in the Power-play, with Radha Yadav emerging as the unlikely saviour by hitting 66 off 42 balls — her maiden WPL fifty and adding 105 runs for the fifth wicket with Richa Ghosh, who hit 44 off 28 deliveries, while Nadine de Klerk’s late cameo of 26 lifted the total to 182/7.
In reply, Gujarat Giants raced to 32 in three overs, but lost five wickets in the next eight overs. Despite Bharti Fulmali and Kashvee Gautam threatening to complete the chase with big hits, RCB closed out a comfortable win as GG were bowled out for 150 in 18.5 overs, with Shreyanka taking 5-23 and Lauren Bell picking 3-29.
Beth Mooney gave Gujarat Giants a brisk start by flicking Lauren for four, and was followed by a slash off Linsey Smith through square leg while Sophie Devine heaved her over mid-wicket. Beth cut loose against Lauren in the third over – lofting and pulling for two fours, while lofting over mid-off for six.
RCB struck back in the fourth over when Arundhati Reddy removed Sophie for eight by holding a sharp return catch off her own bowling. In the next over, Shreyanka delivered a key breakthrough by trapping Beth lbw for 27 after a successful review.
GG’s slide continued when Ashleigh Gardner edged a cut behind to Richa Ghosh off Lauren, while Kanika Ahuja was trapped lbw by Shreyanka for 16 on review, and Georgia Wareham attempted to heave a short delivery off Nadine de Klerk, but miscued it and Radha Yadav sprinted across from deep mid-wicket to complete a sharp catch.
Bharti offered some resistance by cutting Nadine through backward point for four, before edging a low full toss past Richa for another boundary, and then launched a towering six over long-off. She was reprieved on 12 when Smriti Mandhana dropped her catch at mid-off.
Bharti punished RCB for that dropped chance by walloping Linsey for two monstrous sixes and keeping GG’s hopes alive by cutting Nadine past point for four and lofting a slower ball over cover for six. But RCB continued to chip away as Kashvee, after surviving a dropped chance at long-off, holed out to long-on off a slower ball from Shreyanka.
Though Tanuja Kanwer hit a four and six off Shreyanka and Lauren, Bharti mistimed a pull off the latter, and long-on ran in to take a diving catch. A ball later, Lauren had her third wicket when debutante Shivani Singh holed out to long-on. Tanuja hit two boundaries off Arundhati, but holed out to cover off Shreyanka, who completed her five-for with Renuka Singh Thakur holing out to mid-off, and completed a phenomenal win for RCB.
Previously, after being four down in power-play, Radha produced her finest knock in the competition, while combining with Richa and Nadine to lift the total beyond 180. For GG, Sophie Devine was the standout by claiming three wickets, while dropped chances again hurt GG.
RCB made a flying start after being put in to bat, with Grace Harris taking Renuka apart in the opening over, striking four boundaries as 23 runs came off it. But GG bounced back when Kashvee’s big inswinger trapped Grace lbw for 17, while Dayalan Hemalatha miscued a hook off the all-rounder and Shivani pulled off a sharp one-handed catch at short fine leg.
Smriti’s struggle continued as she fell cheaply to Renuka after edging to Rajeshwari Gayakwad at short third. Sophie added to the pressure by trapping Gautami Naik lbw to leave the visitors reeling at 45/4.
But Radha and Richa steadied the innings, counter-attacking with boundaries against Georgia and Ashleigh. Radha cleared long-on for six and carved fours through point, while Richa found the fence with a late cut and a slap through cover.
After Radha survived an lbw review, she leaned into a pitched-up delivery from Renuka to pierce backward point for four, while Richa carved another boundary to raise the fifty of the partnership. Richa left the crowd thrilled by lofting a loopy delivery from Georgia over deep mid-wicket for six and was dropped by deep mid-off.
Kashvee’s reintroduction saw Radha pull confidently over long-on for six, before Richa showcased her power by driving Sophie straight into the sight screen for a towering six. Radha reached her maiden fifty emphatically, pulling Sophie over deep square leg for six, before carving Ashleigh through cover for a crisp boundary, and was then reprieved when a chance was put down by Bharti on the final ball of the over.
Richa, meanwhile, showcased her touch with a deft late cut past third man for four, before holing out to long-on off Georgia. Nadine brought out a blistering assault by smashing Kashvee for two sixes and two fours in the 19th over, worth 22 runs. Though she and Radha fell in the final over, RCB managed to cross the 180-run mark, which was enough to get a win.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 182/7 in 20 overs (Radha Yadav 66, Richa Ghosh 44; Sophie Devine 3-31, Kashvee Gautam 2-42) beat Gujarat Giants (Bharti Fulmali 39, Beth Mooney 27; Lauren Bell 3-29, Shreyanka Patil 3-21) by 32 runs
–IANS
nr/bsk/
