The 12th match of Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 lights up Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on January 19 at 7:30 PM IST, Gujarat Giants against an unbeaten Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Gujarat kicked off strongly with tense wins over UP Warriorz by 10 runs and Delhi Capitals by four runs but stumbled against Mumbai Indians by seven wickets and then RCB by 32 runs, they now hunt a vital bounce back. RCB, meanwhile, remains flawless, scraping past Mumbai by three wickets, demolishing UP Warriorz by nine wickets, thrashing Gujarat Giants by 32 runs, and chasing down Delhi Capitals in eight wickets. Both squads want those 2 crucial points as WPL enters its second half.
Squads:
Gujarat Giants Women’s Cricket Team
Ashleigh Gardner (C), Kanika Ahuja, Yastika Bhatia, Sophie Devine, Bharti Fulmali, Kim Garth, Kashvee Gautam, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Happy Kumari, Tanuja Kanwer, Beth Mooney, Renuka Singh, Titas Sadhu, Anushka Sharma, Ayushi Soni, Shivani Singh, Georgia Wareham, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women’s Cricket Team
Smriti Mandhana (C), Lauren Bell, Nadine de Klerk, Richa Ghosh, Grace Harris, Dayalan Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Shreyanka Patil, Kumari Prathyusha, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Linsey Smith, Pooja Vastrakar, Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav
Players to watch out:
Sophie Devine
Sophie Devine boasts 146 WT20Is with 3431 runs at a 120-strike rate and 119 wickets. In WPL’s 22 matches, she tallied 551 runs at 162 strike rate plus 17 wickets. She grabbed 3 wickets against RCB recently, 2 each against Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz, while smashing 95 against Delhi Capitals and 38 against UP Warriorz her all-round fireworks could spark the Giants revival.
Bharti Fulmali
Bharti Fulmali has featured in 13 WPL matches, accumulating 289 runs. This season she scored 39 against RCB and an unbeaten 36 against Mumbai Indians, her gritty middle-order resilience might steady Gujarat amid their skids.
Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana, RCB’s elegant captain, proves her as a game changer with her skills. Across 157 WT20Is, she piled up 4,102 runs at a strike rate of 124, a testament to her class. In WPL’s 30 matches, she boasts 812 runs at 131 strike rate. Fresh off an unbeaten 47 against UP Warriorz and 96 against Delhi Capitals, she’s primed to anchor RCB’s chase.
Lauren Bell
Lauren Bell, the English right-arm fast-medium bowler, has featured in 36 WT20Is with 50 wickets at an economy of 7.14. In WPL’s 4 matches this season, she snared 8 wickets, including 3/26 against Delhi Capitals and 3/29 against Gujarat Giants her fiery pace could dismantle the Giants’ batting order once again.
Pitch:
Kotambi Stadium boasts a batting-friendly pitch that favors stroke-makers, especially as the game wears on. It offers a solid base early for fluent play, turning even more explosive later to fuel high scores. Batters settling in thrive, while bowlers toil expect big totals and thrilling chases in this T20 hotspot.
Weather:
Ideal conditions beckon in Vadodara with 0% precipitation and light winds at 8 kph. Temperatures span a mild 14°C minimum to 27°C maximum, with 46% humidity, setting the stage for uninterrupted, high-octane cricket.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Smriti Mandhana, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Bharti Fulmali, Lauren Bell, Ashleigh Gardner, Nadine de Klerk, Georgia Wareham, Renuka Singh, Shreyanka Patil, Kim Garth
Match Details:
Date – January 19, 2026
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara
Broadcast – Telecast on Star Sports Network | Streaming on Jio Hotstar (India)
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