In the 9th match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Smriti Mandhana’s side has been flawless in their opening fixtures, winning two out of two. They have been dominant with the bat, especially due to the dynamic opening duo of Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana. The bowling unit looks well balanced as well, with Lauren Bell and Nadine de Klerk leading the way. RCB might just have some issues to sort out in their middle order, considering a couple of early wickets fall. As they gear up to face Gujarat Giants, here are the top 3 players to look out for:
Grace Harris
Grace Harris, the Australian batter, has been phenomenal in the T20I format and has been quite consistent in franchise cricket as well. In her T20I career, she has scored 577 runs from 35 innings at a strike rate of 155. Grace has scored 691 runs from 24 innings in the WPL, including 4 half-centuries. She has also been quite good with the bowl, as she has picked up 13 wickets at an economy of 7. In the match against UP Warriorz, she was named the player of the match for scoring an outstanding 85 off just 40 balls. Grace Harris is a key batter that RCB will hope to have in good touch throughout this campaign.
Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana, the star Indian batter, has been in great touch in recent years, and she has been an unstoppable force in women’s cricket. In her T20I career, she has scored 4102 runs from 151 innings at a strike rate of 124. In her WPL career, she has scored 711 runs from 28 innings. She has been in fine touch in recent matches against Mumbai Indians and the UP Warriorz, despite no landmarks being reached. The skipper’s contribution would remain essential as the batting unit is held together by a few bankable batters.
Nadine de Klerk
Nadine de Klerk, the South African all-rounder, has been playing some wonderful cricket across the globe, coming into this season’s WPL. In her T20I career, she has scored 667 runs from 50 innings, at a strike rate of 107, and she has also picked up 52 wickets at an economy of 7. In the WPL, she has scored 64 runs and picked up 8 wickets at an economy of 7.41. Nadine de Klerk’s role in holding the middle order together would be crucial, and with her wicket-taking ability, she could be quite the package for RCB.
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