New Delhi: Uncapped Gautami Nayak and out-of-favour India pacer Sayali Satghare starred to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) thrash Gujarat Giants (GG) by 61 runs at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Monday to continue their winning run in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. RCB picked up their fifth win in a row in the season to retain their top spot on the points table.
After Nayak’s maiden WPL half-century powered RCB to a strong total of 178 runs, Satghare produced a match-winning spell to turn the game in her side’s favour. The Mumbai pacer struck early with the new ball and combined with Lauren Bell and Nadine de Klerk to run through the Giants’ top order during their run chase.
Satghare struck twice in her first over to get RCB off to a flyer with the ball. The right-arm pacer cleaned up Beth Mooney cheaply on 3 off 4 balls, before getting rid of the dangerous Sophie Devine on a duck, on the penultimate ball of the same over to leave GG reeling on 4/2 inside two overs.
The in-form Bell rattled Kanika Ahuja’s stumps in the next over to send her packing on a duck, before De Klerk removed Anushka Sharma on 18 off 20 balls to leave Gujarat Giants tottering at 34/4 in the run chase. Despite a fighting half-century from skipper Ashleigh Gardner, who scored 54 off 43 balls, there was no coming back for the Giants after their top-order collapse.
Satghare dismissed Georgia Wareham cheaply on 2 off 6 balls to finish with excellent figures of 3/21 as RCB restricted the Giants on 117/8 in 20 overs to secure a comfortable 61-run victory. She was well supported by De Clerk, who bagged a couple of wickets and Bell, who continued her impressive run with figures of 1/23 off her 4 overs.