Royal Challengers Bengaluru first to book a playoff spot despite Ash Gardner’s defiant 54 for Gujarat
A battling half-century by Ash Gardner has failed to prevent Royal Challengers Bengaluru cruising into the Women’s Premier League play-offs with their fifth victory in five matches.
Gardner’s Gujarat Giants side, playing their first home match this season, briefly threatened an upset as they removed Aussie big hitters Grace Harris and Georgia Voll for one run apiece in the second over.
But RCB rallied to post 6-178 and with Beth Mooney dismissed early Gujarat never seriously threatened to chase it down, losing by 61 runs.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” said Gardner, who had won the toss and inserted RCB.
“We’re not winning those small moments. We need to win the last three games.”
Of her own innings, 54 off 43 balls, she added: “I was pretty angry out there. I felt I was hitting the fielders or missing the ball. I was probably just trying to hit the ball too hard.”
When the teams met in Navi Mumbai three days ago Harris hit four fours off Renuka Singh’s first over, with seven wides as well it was the most expensive opening over in WPL history.
However, the seamer gained revenge bowling Harris off the sixth ball for a single. After smacking a rapid 85 in her second match Harris has now scored 17, 1 and 1.
That brought in Voll, fresh off an unbeaten 54 in her first match of the campaign. However, she chopped on for a single.
RCB recovered well. Gautami Naik, in her second match after making her WPL debut this season at the age of 27, showed no trace of nerves as she hit 73 off 55 balls before missing one from Gardner.
The Giants skipper had earlier removed Smriti Mandhana on review, lbw for 26, but finished with 2-43 at nearly 11-an-over. Georgia Wareham’s only over went for 13 but New Zealand’s Sophie Devine applied some control, taking the key wicket of Richa Ghosh (27) as she went for 25 in her four overs.
A challenging total became more so as Mooney and Sophie Devine perished in the second over.
Mooney, undone by the lower bounce at Vadodara, was bowled for three attempting to pull her fourth ball. The Australian wicketkeeper now has 95 in her five innings this WPL.
In-form Devine was then well caught at mid-wicket by Voll, who was at the time mid-conversation with the commentary team. That left Giants 2-4 off 11 balls.
They were soon 3-5 off 17 with Lauren Bell bowling Kanika Ahuja.
That brought Gardner to the crease with an awful lot to do. Playing an anchor role she struggled to get going, earning boundaries through a misfield and an edge while losing three more teammates, including Wareham for two, as she scratched her way to 27 off 30.
Finally, with the rate above 17 Gardner struck a trio of boundaries in the 14th over followed by a six in the 15th. But it was too late and when she cut to backward point the game was effectively over.
There was still time for a juggling catch by Harris from a Bharti Fulmali skier and a surprising drop by Voll before Giants ended on 8-117.
WPL 2026 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
RCB
5
5
0
0
0
1.882
0
10
2
MI
5
2
3
0
0
0.151
0
4
3
UPW
5
2
3
0
0
-0.483
0
4
4
GUJ
5
2
3
0
0
-0.864
0
4
5
DEL
4
1
3
0
0
-0.856
0
2
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
