Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were pushed firmly onto the back foot early in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) clash as Gujarat Giants’ bowling unit struck with pace and precision.
In the 9th match of the WPL between RCB and the Giants, opting to bowl first, the Giants exploited the new ball smartly, hitting hard lengths and closing scoring options in the powerplay. The pressure told quickly as RCB slumped to 43 for 4 inside six overs, with Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris dismissed cheaply and the middle order unable to arrest the slide.
Gujarat’s bowlers kept things tight, conceding very few free runs, with dot balls building and only four boundaries coming in the powerplay. At that stage, RCB looked headed towards a below-par total, struggling for momentum on a surface that demanded intent.
It was in that tense phase that Radha Yadav produced a knock that changed the complexion of the match. Walking in amid the collapse, she first weathered Gujarat’s disciplined bowling before steadily turning the pressure back on them. She went on to score a commanding 66 off 47 balls, striking at over 140, with six fours and three sixes, bringing up her first half-century in the WPL.
Her defining contribution came through a match-shifting 105-run partnership with Richa Ghosh (44 off 28), during which she punished anything overpitched and fearlessly took on the spinners. Radha accelerated decisively at the death, scoring 46 runs in the final six overs, as RCB surged to 182 for 7.
Against a bowling attack that had dominated early, her innings stood out as an act of defiance and composure, turning a near-collapse into a total that suddenly put Gujarat Giants under real pressure.
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