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Yadav and Patil dominate as RCB stay top of WPL

cricket16 January 2026 17:42
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Royal Challengers Bangalore maintained their perfect start to the 2026 Tata Women’s Premier League, beating Gujarat Giants by 32 runs at the DY Patil Stadium on Friday night.

Defending their first innings total of 182/7, RCB bowled the Giants out for 150 in the penultimate over, with Shreyanka Patil claiming an outstanding 5-23.

Asked to bat first in Navi Mumbai with crowds allowed back in the stadium following yesterday’s elections, Radha Yadav led the rearguard action with 66 off 47 balls, after RCB were reduced to 43/4 in the sixth over.

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Richa Ghosh was equally assured in compiling her 44 off 28 balls, with veteran New Zealander Sophie Devine claiming 3-31 from her four-over allocation.

Giants captain Beth Mooney made an eye-catching start to their reply, tucking into English opening duo Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith.

But the introduction of Arundhati Reddy brought the first wicket, Devine smartly caught and bowled for a 12-ball eight.

And Mooney (27 off 14) was done for when Patil made the perfect call to review her LBW shout that had originally been turned down.

Bell was brought back for her third over and the plan worked, having captain Ash Gardner caught behind for just three by Ghosh.

Then went Kanika Ahuja (16 off 14) to make it 63/4, as Patil snared her second LBW victim from around the wicket.

 

 

Nadine de Klerk struck to remove Georgia Wareham for a run-a-ball 13, with the Australian heaving out into the deep where Yadav took a cool catch on the run.

Bharti Fulmali (39 off 20) was undeterred, clubbing it to all parts as her partnership with Kashvee Gautam passed 50 in just 26 balls.

Gautam (18 off 14) couldn’t keep with the dizzying rate required, though, caught by Grace Harris off the returning Patil.

And the reintroduction of Bell (3-29) for her final over brought the key wicket of Fulmali when she skied one to the diving Harris with 44 still needed for an unlikely victory.

The same slower ball trick worked to dispense with Shivani Singh, whose debut came and went without bowling and without scoring a run.

Tanuja Kanwer also had a late swing before departing for 21 off 13, with Renuka SIngh’s heave easily gathered to cap a first five-fer for Patil in the penultimate over.

Earlier, Singh’s wild opening over of the match was dispatched for 23 runs including seven wides, all down the legside thanks to her hooping inswing.

Gautam instantly put things right from the other end, though, trapping the dangerous Harris LBW for 17 off eight balls.

She had her second in the fourth over when Shivani Singh produced a one-handed catch to pluck Dayalan Hemalatha’s hurried hook out of the sky from Gautam’s bouncer.

Then came the big prize of Smriti Mandhana as Renuka returned with her radar restored, taking a swooshing edge that flew safely into the clutches of Rajeshwari Gayakwad at short third.

It left the top three all back in the Pavilion having faced eight balls apiece.

Devine did for Gautami Naik, stone cold LBW, before the ship was steadied by Indian international pair Yadav and Ghosh, who compiled their 50-run stand in a low-risk fashion.

They clicked through the gears from their newfound position of strength, though, with Yadav reaching her maiden WPL half century from 36 balls with a swatted six.

 

 

Ghosh was hot on her heels, too, lofting a Gardner bouncer over keeper Mooney before carving through the offside for a pair of boundaries, with the 100 partnership raised when she was dropped in the deep by Fulmali off the next ball.

She finally fell in the 17th over, hoisting Wareham straight into the hands of the waiting Gardner at long on.

De Klerk (26 off 12) maintained her destructive form with the bat at the death, cracking 22 off the penultimate over.

She fell to Devine in the 20th as Gayakwad took a simple catch, before Yadav holed out to Wareham in the deep.

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