Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Giants by 32 runs at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Friday, January 16. Shreyanka Patil’s career-best five-wicket haul and Radha Yadav’s maiden WPL fifty powered RCB to their third consecutive victory, keeping them unbeaten in the tournament.
Match Details Table
| Match Information | Details |
| Match | Women’s Premier League 2026, Match 9 |
| Teams | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants |
| Date | Friday, January 16, 2026 (Day/Night – 20-over match) |
| Venue | Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, India |
| Weather | Clear, 24.98°C, Haze |
| Toss | Gujarat Giants won and elected to bowl first |
| Result | Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 32 runs |
| Player of the Match | Radha Yadav (RCB) |
| Umpires | Vrinda Rathi (IND), Ankita Guha (IND) |
| TV Umpire | Anish Sahasrabudhe (IND) |
| Match Referee | Moumita Chakraborty (IND) |
What Happened: Middle-Order Recovery Saves RCB
Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner won the toss and elected to bowl first. RCB collapsed to 43 for 4 within six overs as Kashvee Gautam dismissed Grace Harris and Dayalan Hemalatha, while Renuka Singh removed captain Smriti Mandhana.
Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh rescued the innings with a 105-run partnership off 72 balls for the fifth wicket. Radha launched a fierce attack, scoring 66 runs off 47 deliveries, including three sixes and six boundaries, to reach her first WPL fifty off 36 balls.
Ghosh contributed 44 runs off 28 balls with four fours and two sixes. Nadine de Klerk provided late acceleration with 26 runs off 12 balls, helping RCB post 182 for 7 in 20 overs.
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How RCB Defended: Shreyanka’s Historic Performance
Beth Mooney scored 27 runs off 14 deliveries to give the Gujarat Giants a good start to their chase. But to change the tide, Shreyanka Patil trapped Mooney lbw, and Arundhati Reddy dismissed Sophie Devine with a caught-and-bowled.
Shreyanka bowled from around the wicket and proved unplayable. She dismissed Kanika Ahuja for 16 and returned to break the dangerous 56-run partnership between Bharti Fulmali and Kashvee Gautam by removing Gautam for 18.
In the 19th over, Shreyanka finished the innings by dismissing Tanuja Kanwar and Renuka Singh to complete her five-wicket haul after Lauren Bell dismissed Fulmali for 39 off 20 balls. In 18.5 overs, the Gujarat Giants were dismissed for 150.
When It Mattered: Key Turning Points
RCB’s innings went from collapse to a competitive total thanks to the Radha-Ghosh partnership between overs 6 and 16. After a cautious start, the pair accelerated and reached their 100-run partnership in the 16th over.
In Gujarat’s chase, losing Mooney and Gardner within the powerplay proved fatal. At 70 for 5 in the 11th over, the required rate climbed beyond reach. Shreyanka‘s return in the 16th over sealed the contest.
Why RCB Won: Collective Brilliance Under Pressure
In both innings, RCB reacted under duress. Before this game, Radha had only scored 75 runs in her WPL career, but she demonstrated maturity when it counted most.
Shreyanka’s figures of 5 for 23 in 3.5 overs made her the youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul in WPL history at 23 years and 169 days. Lauren Bell supported with 3 for 29.
Sophie Devine took 3 for 31, and Kashvee Gautam claimed 2 for 42 for Gujarat, but four dropped catches during RCB’s innings proved costly.
Full Match Scorecard
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 182/7 (20.0 overs)
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Dismissal |
| Grace Harris | 17 | 8 | 4 | 0 | lbw b Kashvee Gautam |
| Smriti Mandhana (c) | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | c Gayakwad b Renuka Singh |
| Dayalan Hemalatha | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | c Shivani Singh b Gautam |
| Gautami Naik | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | lbw b Devine |
| Richa Ghosh (wk) | 44 | 28 | 4 | 2 | c Gardner b Wareham |
| Radha Yadav | 66 | 47 | 6 | 3 | c Wareham b Devine |
| Nadine de Klerk | 26 | 12 | 2 | 2 | c Wareham b Devine |
| Arundhati Reddy | 0* | 0 | 0 | 0 | not out |
| Shreyanka Patil | 2* | 2 | 0 | 0 | not out |
Extras: 14 (wd 9, nb 3, lb 2)
RCB Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Renuka Singh | 4 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 10.25 |
| Kashvee Gautam | 4 | 0 | 42 | 2 | 10.5 |
| Sophie Devine | 4 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 7.75 |
| Georgia Wareham | 4 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 9 |
| Tanuja Kanwar | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 6.67 |
| Rajeshwari Gayakwad | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Gujarat Giants: 150 all out (18.5 overs)
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Dismissal |
| Beth Mooney (wk) | 27 | 14 | 4 | 1 | lbw b Shreyanka Patil |
| Sophie Devine | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | c&b Arundhati Reddy |
| Shivani Singh | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | c Reddy b Lauren Bell |
| Ashleigh Gardner (c) | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | c Ghosh b Bell |
| Georgia Wareham | 13 | 13 | 2 | 0 | c Mandhana b de Klerk |
| Kanika Ahuja | 16 | 12 | 2 | 0 | lbw b Patil |
| Bharti Fulmali | 39 | 20 | 3 | 3 | c Harris b Bell |
| Kashvee Gautam | 18 | 14 | 1 | 1 | c Reddy b Patil |
| Tanuja Kanwar | 21 | 13 | 3 | 1 | c Mandhana b Patil |
| Rajeshwari Gayakwad | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | not out |
| Renuka Singh | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | c Reddy b Patil |
Extras: 3 (wd 2, lb 1)
Gujarat Giants Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Lauren Bell | 4 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 7.25 |
| Linsey Smith | 2 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 13.5 |
| Arundhati Reddy | 4 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 7.75 |
| Shreyanka Patil | 3.5 | 0 | 23 | 5 | 6 |
| Nadine de Klerk | 4 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 |
| Radha Yadav | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Player of the Match: Radha Yadav
What Comes Next?
RCB moved to the top of the WPL 2026 points table with six points from three matches and a net run rate of +1.828. They became the first team in WPL history to win their opening three matches.
Gujarat Giants dropped to third place with four points from four matches and a net run rate of -0.319. They suffered their second consecutive loss after previously defeating the Delhi Capitals and the UP Warriorz. Both teams will head to Vadodara for the next phase of matches.
Read in-depth WPL analyses, turning-point breakdowns and full bowling figures at Jeetwin Sports.
