Gujarat Giants Battle Hard Against RCB

Gujarat Giants started strongly in their Tata WPL 2026 rematch with Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Kot Stadium, Vadodara, rattling the top order early after opting to bowl, but RCB recovered to 178 for 6 as Gujarat were bowled out for 117 in a 61-run defeat. The performance featured a dominant powerplay with the ball and skipper Ash Gardner's gritty resistance in the chase.

Renuka Singh struck with the last ball of the first over, inducing Grace Harris to edge to mid-on for 1 as RCB slumped to 2 for 1. Georgia Voll followed soon after, bowled for 1 attempting a cut off Kashvee Gautam, leaving RCB at 9 for 2 after 1.6 overs.

Gautami Naik anchored the recovery with an impressive 73 off 55 balls, steadying the innings below a run-a-ball pace before accelerating. A key partnership with Smriti Mandhana (26) took RCB to 69 for 3, while Richa Ghosh and others added late impetus to reach 178 for 6 despite Gujarat's sustained pressure.

In the chase, Gujarat lost early wickets but captain Ashleigh Gardner fought valiantly with 58 off 43 balls, her highest score of the season providing a lone hand of resistance. Sayali Satghare's 3 for 21 and other RCB bowlers applied the squeeze, restricting Gujarat to 117 all out.

Gujarat's early breakthroughs and Gardner's determined knock highlight the fight in the side, offering momentum as they target a strong finish in the WPL 2026 league stage.