Royal Challengers Bengaluru made it three wins in a row in the Women’s Premier League with a 32-run victory over Gujarat Giants on Friday, driven by a decisive middle-order partnership and a match-winning spell with the ball.
Sent in to bat, RCB were steady rather than fluent early on, despite Grace Harris setting the tone by taking 23 runs off Renuka Singh’s opening over.
The momentum did not last. Harris was trapped in front by Kashvee Gautam, who followed it up by removing D Hemalatha in her next over.
Renuka recovered from her expensive start to dismiss Smriti Mandhana, brilliantly caught by Rajeshwari Gayakwad, as RCB slipped to 43 for 4 inside six overs.
With the top order back in the pavilion, the responsibility fell on Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh. What followed reshaped the innings. Yadav attacked Georgia Wareham with intent, finding the boundary through point before lifting her over long-on.
Ghosh settled in quickly, and after a quiet passage, the pair began to score freely against both spin and pace.
Ghosh survived a chance in the 13th over when she was dropped at deep mid-off by Gautam, and she made full use of it, pulling Wareham over deep mid-wicket soon after.
Sophie Devine also came in for punishment, with both batters clearing the ropes in the same over. Yadav reached her fifty off 36 balls, and the fifth-wicket stand crossed 100 in the 16th over.
Yadav’s 66 off 47 balls and Ghosh’s 44 off 28 formed the backbone of RCB’s recovery, their 105-run partnership across 11 overs lifting the side to a competitive 182 for 7. Nadine de Klerk provided late impetus with 26 off 12 balls.
Gujarat Giants began the chase with intent. Beth Mooney flicked Lauren Bell for a boundary off the first ball and followed it up with a flurry of fours and a six in the opening exchanges.
Sophie Devine joined in early before Arundhati Reddy struck, catching and bowling Devine to give RCB the breakthrough. Shreyanka Patil then took charge.
She removed Mooney LBW, a key moment in the chase, and soon after, Ashleigh Gardner fell to a sharp catch by Ghosh off Bell. Kanika Ahuja attempted to counterattack with back-to-back boundaries but was also trapped LBW by Patil.
At 70 for 5, Gujarat Giants were already behind the asking rate.Patil continued to run through the line-up, dismissing Georgia Wareham and cleaning up the lower order to finish with figures of 5 for 23.
Bharti Fulmali’s 39 off 20 balls briefly lifted Gujarat Giants, but the target proved out of reach. The side was bowled out for 150, sealing another convincing win for RCB and underlining their strong start to the season.
