Royal Challengers Bengaluru underlined why they have been the standout side of WPL 2026 as they comprehensively defeated Gujarat Giants in the first match of the Vadodara leg, becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs.
Asked to bat, RCB were jolted early despite coming in with confidence. Gujarat struck twice in the power play to leave RCB reeling at 9 for 2, a reminder of how incisive their new-ball attack has been this season. Coming into the match, GG bowlers had picked up 10 wickets in the power play, the most by any team, with the best strike rate (18) and the lowest boundary percentage (18.88%) in that phase.
But the game turned on a calm and calculated rebuild. Smriti Mandhana and Gautami Naik added 40 runs after those early blows, steadily shifting momentum in a phase where only one over of spin was used. The wicket was slightly holding, dew loomed as a later factor, and Mandhana’s role became crucial in guiding Naik through that tricky period.
Naik, playing her first substantial knock of the season, went on to script the innings of the night. After Mandhana fell, she took greater responsibility, first adding 60 for the third wicket with Mandhana, and then forging a decisive 69-run stand with Richa Ghosh. Her approach was largely orthodox, grounded shots, sharp singles and doubles, but she was not afraid to take risks when required. She brought up her maiden WPL fifty before being bowled by Ashleigh Gardner, an innings that allowed RCB to bat deep.
Despite no big scores from Grace Harris, Mandhana or Georgia Voll, RCB finished on a commanding 178. That total was boosted by cameos from Richa and Radha Yadav, and a late surge that yielded 40 runs from the final three overs. GG’s fielding woes played their part too, they have now dropped 11 catches this season, the most by any team, with a catching efficiency of just 63.3%, alongside 31 misfields.
In reply, GG suffered a nightmare start. Sayali Satghare rocked them with a double strike in her first over, and Lauren Bell soon compounded the damage. Gujarat slumped to 5 for 3, one of the lowest scores at the fall of the third wicket in WPL history and limped to 29 for 3 at the end of the power play, the lowest score in this period this season. This was particularly stark given that GG had entered the match with the highest power play run rate of WPL 2026 at 10.08.
RCB’s dominance with the new ball has been a defining feature of their campaign. In overs 1-6 this season, RCB bowlers have taken 11 wickets at an average of 18.09, conceding just 6.63 runs per over, with a dot-ball percentage of 53.8%. Bell herself has been outstanding in that phase, five wickets at an average of 14.6, an economy of 5.21, and dots on nearly two-thirds of the deliveries she bowls.
Gardner attempted to salvage the chase, but support was minimal. By the ninth over, GG were already deep in trouble, with the asking rate spiralling and RCB firmly in control. Nadine de Klerk struck in the middle overs, as she has consistently done this season, to ensure there was no meaningful recovery. None of the other batters managed a notable contribution, and the chase fizzled out well short of the target.
RCB sealed a 61-run win, one of the biggest victory margins in WPL history, completing a season double over Gujarat and extending their winning streak to five matches. It is also the second time in WPL history that a team has begun a season with five consecutive wins, after Mumbai Indians achieved the feat in the inaugural edition in 2023.
For Gujarat, it was a sobering reminder of their recurring issues: sloppy fielding, 21 extras conceded in the innings, and an inability to absorb sustained pressure against high-quality power play bowling. For RCB, it was another display of balance and depth, proof that even without headline individual scores, they have the collective strength and discipline to dominate matches.
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