Radha, Ghosh rescue RCB before Patil five-for consigns GG to defeat

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) completed a hat-trick of wins thanks to a 105-run stand between Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav, followed by a five-for from Shreyanka Patil and a three-for from Lauren Bell. It means RCB are still the only unbeaten team in WPL 2026 so far.

Ghosh and Radha's partnership lifted RCB from 43 for 4 to 148, before they finished on 182 for 7. RCB were also aided by Nadine de Klerk's cameo of 26 from 12 balls at the end. In the chase, many of Gujarat Giants' (GG) batters got off to starts, but none of them could convert it, which meant there was only one fifty-plus partnership in their innings before they suffered a 32-run loss.

The first over of the day, bowled by Renuka Singh, went for 23 runs, and the next five had 22 runs and four wickets. Renuka conceded seven runs off three wide balls, while Grace Harris found the boundary four times - all through the leg side. There was an lbw shout given out which was overturned.

Kashvee Gautam was the first to strike with an inswinger pinning Harris lbw. In her next over, debutant Shivani Singh plucked a one-handed catch at short fine leg to dismiss Dayalan Hemalatha. Renuka made amends on return by having Smriti Mandhana slice a catch to short third. Devine had Gautami Naik plumb in front in the sixth over as RCB slipped to 43 for 4.

Radha, who was promoted to No. 5, tagged along with Ghosh to first stem the flow of wickets. After two overs of slow going, Radha took on Wareham for a six and a four. Each over from the eighth to the 17th had at least one boundary in it.

All of Radha and Ghosh's fours came through the off side. They were severe on width, and used cuts, and cover and square drives to good effect. Radha brought up her maiden WPL fifty in the 15th over by which time Ghosh had gotten going. The acceleration brought up only the second century stand between two India batters in the WPL.

Once Ghosh fell, de Klerk produced a boundary barrage. She whacked two fours and two sixes off the 19th over, taking down Gautam for 22 runs. RCB had some luck along the way as de Klerk was dropped by Ashleigh Gardner, and Radha got a reprieve thanks to DRS in the 11th over.

Bell wasn't able to give RCB another strong start as she missed her lines. Beth Mooney flicked the first ball for four. In Bell's next over, she picked up a six and two fours as Giants raced to 32 for 0.

Arundhati Reddy came on to take a sharp return catch to dismiss Devine. In the next over, Patil used the angle in from around the wicket to trap Mooney lbw.

The middle overs started with Kanika Ahuja getting off to a decent start before Patil went around the wicket again and beat her defence for another lbw. At 70 for 5, the game looked all but done.

But Bharti Fulmali and Gautam had other ideas. Fulmali dined on anything full, and cleared the boundaries with ease. RCB dropped a couple of chances - first Fulmali by Smriti Mandhana off Arundhati Reddy's bowling in the 13th over, and then Kashvee by Reddy off de Klerk's bowling in the 15th.

With a partnership growing at pace - more on that later - Patil returned and dismissed Kashvee with a loopy ball that was hit to long-on.

The boundaries didn't stop as GG's batters kept going for big shots. But their chances faded quickly when Bell returned to fox Fulmali with a slower ball. Two balls later, she bowled another slower one to dismiss Shivani. Patil finished off the game in the 19th over by striking twice.