GG Vs RCB Highlights WPL 2026: Ashleigh Gardner’s 50 Goes In Vain As Gujarat Giants Suffer 61-Run Loss

Good evening, cricket fans. This is the start of our live blog covering the heavyweight WPL clash between Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Vadodara. Stay tuned for pre-match and toss updates as they take place.

• Fixture: Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Match 12

• Series: Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026

• Venue: BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara

• Date: Monday, January 19, 2026

• Venue: 7:30 PM IST

• Live Streaming: JioHotstar

• Live Streaming: Star Sports

Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardener won the toss and opted to bowl first in the WPL 2026 Match 12.

Gujarat Giants Women: Beth Mooney (wk), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Kanika Ahuja, Ashleigh Gardner (c), Georgia Wareham, Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Tanuja Kanwer, Happy Kumari, Renuka Singh Thakur.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (wk), Gautami Naik, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell.

This is just the start that Gujarat Giants wanted!! Renuka removes the dangerous Grace Harris, with the Aussie hitting it straight into the arms of her compatriot Ash Gardner. Georgia Voll is the new batter after the cheap early dismissal.

The Giants are on fire today!! Kashvee dismisses Voll, but it was poor shot selection for the RCB batter. The swing fools Voll, who gets a massive inside edge that hit the pads and the middle stumps. Gautami Naik comes on as the new batter.

A good recovery from RCB after losing two wickets in the first two wickets. Smriti and and Gautami have built up a 28-run partnership, with the captain batting with a strike rate of over 112.

Gautami Naik continues to hold one end with a composed 29 off 26, while Smriti Mandhana is growing in confidence on 26 from 22. The over goes for seven runs, highlighted by a boundary early on, as RCB Women move steadily to 66 for 2, keeping the scoreboard ticking without taking undue risks.

Ashleigh Gardner produced a massive moment for Gujarat Giants as she trapped Smriti Mandhana lbw for 26 off 23, dismissing her for the 10th time in T20 cricket with a clever, flatter delivery from round the wicket that beat Mandhana’s flick and struck her in front after a successful review.

RCB Women picked up 13 runs from the 12th over as Gautami Naik moved to 47 off 37 with a clean boundary and a controlled single, while Richa Ghosh added a couple of steady runs before finishing the over with a straightforward six. The partnership helped RCBW reach 93 for 3 without taking unnecessary risks.

Gautami Naik brought up her maiden WPL fifty with a calm nudge to mid-wicket off the first ball of the over, before Richa Ghosh rotated strike with a dab to third man. Naik then rode her luck when Kashvee dropped a tough chance at long-off off a miscue, but she made the most of the reprieve by slogging Gardner over mid-wicket for four and adding another single. Richa finished the over by missing a sweep to a turning off-break, with Gujarat Giants unsuccessfully reviewing for LBW, as RCB Women moved to 105 for 3 after 14 overs with Naik well set on 57.

Sophie Devine ended a tidy over on a high by removing Richa Ghosh, who tried to clear the infield but only managed a miscued shot that was safely taken by Ashleigh Gardner in the deep, departing for 27 off 20. Before the wicket, Gautami Naik kept things moving with a couple of singles and Richa also rotated strike, while a boundary off the bat added to the tally, as RCB Women moved to 138 for 4 after 17 overs.

Ashleigh Gardner brought Gujarat Giants right back into the contest by knocking over Gautami Naik for a well-made 73, as the RCB batter stepped away and missed a flat delivery that crashed into leg stump. The over then turned scrappy with five wides down the leg side, before Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav traded a few singles through mistimed strokes. Despite the late breakthroughs, RCB Women collected 13 runs from the over and moved to 151 for 5 after 18 overs.

RCB Women finished strongly to post a competitive 178 for 6, with Shreyanka Patil providing the late flourish by striking two crisp boundaries off Kashvee Gautam in the final over. Earlier in the over, Radha Yadav fell for a quick 17 after mistiming a flat-batted shot to mid-off, but RCB still managed 17 runs from the last six balls, giving them a solid total to defend.

Innings Break.

I feel really good that I got a chance and I was able to make it count. The management and the coaches trusted in me that I could do it. And I went and implemented their feedback. (what did she like the most during her innings) The way I went in to that situation, the wicket was holding and I backed my strengths. The way I played the singles, doubles and the grounded shots pleased me. (batting with Smriti) It's a pleasure to bat with her, it's a big thing to bat with her. She guided me on how to bat, what the wicket is doing, if the ball is not coming on what one has to do. It became easier after she kept talking to me, due to her I was able to get out of the initial phase and then runs came. Grateful and thank you to her because she backed me. (message to the loved ones back home) My mom, brother, my coaches and my academy players are watching. Thank you so much for believing in me and supporting me till now. I want to do well and please keep supporting me.

Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine are out in the middle to start the chase, with Mooney on strike. RCB Women finish their brief huddle as Lauren Bell takes the new ball, setting a standard field with no slips or gully before running in to bowl the first over.

Sayali Satghare struck twice in a tight over, first bowling Beth Mooney for 3 and then having Sophie Devine caught at deep mid-wicket for a duck. Gujarat Giants managed just one run in the over and slipped to 4 for 2 inside the second over.

Lauren Bell tightened the screws further by bowling Kanika Ahuja for a duck with a full delivery that swung back late and clipped the base of off stump, leaving Gujarat Giants in deeper trouble. Ashleigh Gardner then walked in and safely saw out the final ball, as GG Women slipped to 5 for 3, with RCB Women firmly on top and eyeing more damage inside the powerplay.

Nadine de Klerk ended a tight over with a breakthrough as Anushka Sharma picked out Radha Yadav at sweeper cover, departing for 18 off 20. Gujarat Giants managed just five runs from the over and slipped to 34 for 4, with RCB Women firmly in control.

Radha Yadav provided RCB Women with another breakthrough by bowling Kashvee Gautam for 4 with a well-flighted delivery that slipped under the slogsweep and hit off stump. Georgia Wareham then got off the mark, while Ashleigh Gardner picked up a couple of runs, but Gujarat Giants could manage only four from the over..

Nadine de Klerk struck again by removing Georgia Wareham for 2, caught at mid-wicket, as Gujarat Giants added only three runs from the over to slip to 58 for 6.

Ashleigh Gardner brought up her fifty with a controlled pull to deep mid-wicket, marking her third half-century at this venue, as Gujarat Giants picked up 13 runs from the over to move to 85 for 6. Despite the milestone, the task remains steep for the Giants with plenty still required.

Sayali Satghare wrapped up an excellent spell by removing Ashleigh Gardner for 54, as the batter sliced a wide yorker straight to backward point, effectively sealing the contest for RCB Women. She finished with impressive figures of 3 for 21, while Gujarat Giants could add only five runs from the over to slip to 100 for 7 with four overs still to go.

Shreyanka Patil tightened RCB Women’s grip further by removing Bharti Fulmali for 14, as the batter mistimed a slog and was safely held by Grace Harris at long-on. Gujarat Giants could add only three runs from the over and slipped to 103 for 8, with Renuka Singh walking in for the final overs.

Gujarat Giants could manage only three runs from the final over, with Renuka Singh Thakur and Tanuja Kanwer picking up a couple of singles. The quiet finish summed up a tough chase as GG Women closed on 117 for 8.

RCB Women wrapped up a comprehensive win as Gujarat Giants finished on 117 for 8, never quite finding momentum in the chase. After Gautami Naik’s 73 set up a strong total of 178, the RCB bowlers struck regularly to keep the Giants under pressure throughout, sealing a comfortable and convincing victory.

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