Royal Challengers Bangalore women have stormed into the playoffs of the Women's Premier League 2026. They sealed their spot with a commanding 61-run victory over Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on Monday.
Dominant Display Continues
RCB maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament with another comprehensive performance. After winning all their matches at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium, they started the Vadodara leg in similar fashion. Batting first, they posted a competitive 178 for 6 on the board.
The Gujarat Giants chase never really got going. They found themselves in deep trouble early, reduced to 5 for 3 in less than three overs. The visitors eventually managed only 117 for 8 in their 20 overs, handing RCB a comfortable victory.
Gautami Naik Steals the Show
The match belonged to little-known batter Gautami Naik. The 27-year-old played a match-winning knock of 73 runs from just 55 deliveries. Her innings included seven boundaries and one six, providing the backbone of RCB's total.
Naik came to the crease when RCB were struggling at 69 for 3 with the run rate hovering around six an over. She partnered with Richa Ghosh to rebuild the innings before accelerating beautifully in the latter stages.
"She started cautiously but once she found her rhythm, the shots flowed freely," observed one commentator. Naik began with an elegant cover drive off Kashvee Gautam before launching Renuka Singh Thakur over square leg for her only maximum.
Most of her boundaries came on the off-side initially, but as her confidence grew, she began scoring all around the ground. Her innings lifted the scoring rate significantly at a crucial juncture.
Domestic Experience Pays Off
Naik has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket for years. Her performances for Ratnagiri Jets in the Women's Maharashtra Premier League, where she opened alongside Smriti Mandhana, brought her into national reckoning.
This experience served her well under pressure. After Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil provided late fireworks, RCB had a total they could defend comfortably at a venue where chasing had been preferred earlier in the tournament.
Sayali Satghare Destroys Top Order
If Naik set up the victory with the bat, Sayali Satghare sealed it with the ball. The seamer, playing only her second match of the season, ripped through the Gujarat Giants top order with remarkable precision.
Satghare returned impressive figures of 3 for 21 from her four overs. She dismissed the dangerous overseas trio of Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine and Ashleigh Gardner to effectively end the contest early.
Clinical Bowling Performance
Mooney fell to the very first ball of Satghare's spell. The Australian left-hander was clean bowled by a delivery that shaped back and hit the top of the stumps. In the same over, Devine attempted to pull a delivery that wasn't short enough and found Georgia Voll at deep midwicket.
Gardner fought a lone battle for the Giants, scoring 54 from 43 balls. But even she couldn't handle Satghare's accuracy, slicing a wide yorker straight to backward point.
"This performance proves her previous match was no fluke," said a cricket analyst. Satghare had taken three wickets against Delhi Capitals in Navi Mumbai just two days earlier.
RCB's Winning Formula
The victory showcased RCB's depth and versatility. While Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris have provided explosive starts throughout the tournament, and Richa Ghosh and Nadine de Klerk have supplied firepower in the middle, new heroes keep emerging.
This ability to find match-winners from different quarters makes RCB a formidable unit. Their bowling attack, led by Satghare's breakthroughs and supported by de Klerk's 2 for 17, never allowed Gujarat Giants to build partnerships.
Brief Scores
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 178/6 in 20 overs (Gautami Naik 73) beat Gujarat Giants: 117/8 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 54; Sayali Satghare 3/21, Nadine de Klerk 2/17) by 61 runs.
The win not only secures RCB's playoff spot but also sends a strong message to other teams. With multiple players contributing and new stars emerging regularly, they look well-placed to challenge for the WPL 2026 title.
