Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, WPL 2026 Live Score Updates

We are all set for Gujarat's batting effort to get underway. Smriti Mandhana leads her troops out to the centre. It will be the left-hand, right-hand combination of Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine to open the innings for the Giants. Lauren Bell will kickstart proceedings with the new ball. Bell to Mooney. Surprisingly, no slip in place. Let's play...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

In the six games played last season here in Vadodara, 156 has been the average first-innings score, and RCB have gone well past that figure. Moreover, the surface has played slow and low, with batters not quite finding the fluency they would have liked. That said, all six matches last season at this venue were won by the side chasing. The Giants will be hoping for a strong start and for Beth Mooney to come good at the top of the order. They will have the challenge of dealing with Lauren Bell, who has had the ball on a string this season. Back in a bit for the second essay.

Gautami Naik (73 off 55 balls) comes up for a quick chat. Says she is feeling very good, having got an opportunity and is happy to prove herself. She adds that the RCB management shows faith in her, and she went out with the aim of implementing the plans. She explains that the ball is holding up a bit, so the plan was to take it on from one end and back her strengths. Mentions that she loves the grounded shot she played the most. Describes batting with Smriti Mandhana as a pleasure, saying that Smriti guided her and made things easier for her in the early stages. She expresses gratitude to Smriti for backing her.

Both Richa Ghosh and Gautami Naik fell within the space of three balls, giving the Gujarat Giants a window to close out the innings on a strong note. However, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil came through for RCB to push the total past 175. After a promising start, the Giants were untidy with the ball, conceding 15 wides, and that could well end up proving the difference.

After the toss fell their way, the Gujarat Giants made early inroads through their new-ball attack to reduce RCB to 9/2. Gautami Naik then stitched together crucial partnerships, first with Smriti Mandhana and later with Richa Ghosh. That allowed RCB to recover from those early setbacks. Naik grew in confidence as the innings progressed and went on to register her maiden WPL half-century. Once again, Gujarat’s struggles through the middle phase came to the fore, as they conceded 77 runs between overs 7 and 15.

A strong finish for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 40 runs in the last 3 overs for RCB, and they will be pretty happy with what they have ended up with. Having dismissed the two set batters in the last phase of the innings, the Gujarat Giants would have hoped to limit the damage, but it was not to be.

FOUR! Wow, that's some way to end the inning. Length delivery around off, and Patil goes down to attempt the reverse. She gets it absolutely spot on, lifts it cleanly over short third, and picks up a clever boundary. 17 runs from the final over and RCB end on 178/6.

FOUR! Terrific shot. Length delivery outside off, Shreyanka Patil shuffles across the stumps and plays a powerful slog sweep, over backward square leg and finds the fence after beating the dive from the fielder near the boundary line.

Shreyanka Patil comes out to bat. Two legal balls left in the innings. Can RCB go past 175?

OUT! CAUGHT! That is the end of a handy little cameo from Radha Yadav. Back of a length around off and taken off the pace, Radha stays back to muscle it through the off side but goes too early. The timing deserts her, the ball floats straight to mid off, and Bharti Fulmali accepts the gift without fuss.

FOUR! The bowler tries to follow the batter down the leg side, but the length is short and Yadav adjusts well to put it away, behind square leg, and finds the fence once more.

FOUR! Plenty of bottom hand on this shot. Too full and around off, Yadav stays put inside the crease and thwacks it over extra cover for a cracking boundary.

Begins with a full ball on middle, Nadine hangs back and drills it to long off, takes a single.

Kashvee Gautam (3-0-21-1) to close out the innings.

Full and outside off, Yadav tries to play lap shot initially but then tries the reverse-batted shot. Doesn't middle and it rolls to point.

SIX! Out of here! Devine serves a length ball around leg, Radha goes deep inside the crease and plunders it over deep backward square leg for a maximum.

Full and on middle, eased to long on for a run.

Hangs back to a length ball and drags it over mid-wicket for one.

Down the leg side, De Klerk fails to flick and it goes off her pads to the on side. They cross for a leg bye.