Gujarat Giants won the toss and decided to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 at Kotambi Stadium. Making two changes to their playing XI, Gujarat Giants included Anushka Sharma and gave a debut to Happy Kumari, replacing Shivani Singh and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Captain Ashleigh Gardner expressed excitement about the home crowd support and emphasized the importance of keeping the stumps in play for bowlers at the high-scoring venue.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana focused on the team’s simple approach and praised the bowlers for a strong start in the previous game. Mandhana highlighted the collective effort of the batters and the emergence of new players in each game. Emphasizing a game-by-game strategy, Mandhana commended the team’s energy and intensity, especially considering the tight schedule. RCB decided to stick with the same playing XI for the match.
The playing XIs for the match are as follows: 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, Lauren Bell, Sayali Satghare. Gujarat Giants Women – Beth Mooney (wk), Anushka Sharma, Sophie Devine, Ashleigh Gardner (c), Georgia Wareham, Kanika Ahuja, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Happy Kumari, Renuka Singh Thakur.
