GG vs RCB | Twitter impressed as Gautami and Sayali help RCB storm into playoffs with thumping win over GG

‌Royal Challengers Bengaluru became the first team to qualify for the playoffs of the Women’s Premier League with a 61-run humbling of Gujarat Giants in Baroda on Monday. Gautami Naik and Sayali Satghare played key roles with bat and ball, scoring a half-century and picking up a three-wicket haul, respectively, as the visitors extended their unbeaten run to six games, including the last match in the previous edition.

After being put into bat at the Kotambi Stadium, RCB did not have an ideal start, as Renuka Singh dismissed the in-form opener Grace Harris in the first over. With Georgia Voll also following suit in the next over, the visitors were precariously placed at 9/2. But skipper Smriti Mandhana joined hands with Gautami Naik to ensure that the side did not lose another in the powerplay. The RCB skipper welcomed her counterpart Ash Gardner with two boundaries while Gautami also settled in as the score read 37/2. The duo targeted Renuka in the next over with Gautami taking the aerial route to score the first six of the game, as Gardner decided to bowl the medium pacer out upfront. The pair added 60 runs for the third wicket before the Giants’ skipper trapped Mandhana (27) in front of the stumps in the 10th over. However, Gautami continued unabated, along with Richa Ghosh as the pair targeted Georgia Wareham in her very first over with 13 runs. Gautami completed her maiden WPL half-century, in 42 balls, in the 14th over, with the side also crossing 100 in the same over. The duo shifted gears as Gautami found the gaps precisely while Richa put her power hitting to good use, clearing the boundaries with ease. The wicketkeeper-batter had three maximums in her 20-ball 27, while Gautami hit seven fours and a six to top-score for the side with 73 off 55 balls. Even though both batters departed in the space of a ball, Radha Yadav (17) and Shreyanka Patil’s (8) boundary-laden cameos helped the side finish on a high at 178/6. For the home side, medium pacer Kashvee Gautam and Ashleigh Gardner ended with figures of 2/38 and 2/43, respectively, in their four-over spells.

The hosts had a horrendous start as Sayali Satghare had a dream start against her former side. The medium pacer priced out experienced openers Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine with her new-ball partner Lauren Bell accounting for Kanika Ahuja to reduce the Giants to 5/3 inside three overs. That pulled Gardner and Anushka Sharma back from scoring freely in the powerplay ending the six-over mark at 29/3. However, their wretched night continued with young Anushka (18) getting dismissed while trying to up the ante against Nadine de Klerk in the very next over. And with Kashvee and Wareham also departing cheaply for single-digit scores the Giants were down and out at 56/6 with more than seven overs to play. However, captain Gardner’s gritty half-century helped the side past the 100-run mark to a respectable total. She hit five fours and a six during her 43-ball 54 as the Giants managed 117/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Meanwhile, Satghare was the pick among the RCB bowlers with a spell of 3/21 in four overs with De Klerk picking up two wickets.

Oops!

Qualified!

Incredible!

5th consecutive wins!

RCB Qualified!

Fiirst qualify!

History

On top!

Well played!