Royal Challengers Bengaluru spinner Shreyanka Patil produced a career-best performance to claim her first-ever five-wicket haul in T20 cricket as her side beat Gujarat Giants by 32 runs. RCB recovered from early trouble to 44 for 4, with key contributions from Radha Yadav, Rich Ghosh and Nadine de Klerk, to post 182 for 7. Patil’s 5 for 23, along with Lauren Bell’s three wickets, restricted the Giants to 150 runs and ensured victory for Bengaluru.
WPL 2026, RCB vs GG: Highlights | Scorecard
Reflecting on the match, Patil praised her teammates for their resilience and highlighted the key role played by Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh in stabilizing the innings. She said: “First of all I would like to give credit to Radha because if it wasn’t for her innings I don’t think we would have put that total on the board. I’m really happy how Richa and Radha contributed in the first innings knowing that there were four downs, we were 44 for 4, and then just to see those innings, I think it was 17-18 massive impact on the board.”
Expressing her satisfaction at achieving a personal milestone, Patil said, “I am very, very happy to get my first five-wicket haul in T20s.” Her efforts were crucial in keeping the pressure on the opposition as the RCB bowlers met the challenge with minimal impact from the dew.
Patil also shared details of her comeback journey, revealing that she missed almost 14 months of cricket, including WPL 2025 and ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, which India won. Describing her absence as a “roller-coaster ride,” she explained: “I came out of it in a very strong way. I got through my support system. My coaches here, my grandparents, my uncle and aunt and my sister who left her job and came all the way from Bangalore to watch me. So I’m very happy and just being out for 14 months for someone who didn’t play me cricket was big trouble. I want to be on the cricket field quietly, I want to do what I enjoy.”
Preparation before the tournament was also important during Patil’s return. She has been working with her coach Arjun in Bengaluru and said her execution “is falling into place right now”. She added: “I’m a wicket bowler and I’ve always said that because the drift that I get, the spin that I get on the bounce is something that I don’t see a lot. I just didn’t want to be a wicket-keeper bowler. I wanted to be a wicket-keeper bowler and be that impact bowler for the team in any situation, whether it was a power-over or the death.”
Patil focused on tactics and emphasized the importance of simplicity and adaptability. She said, “Your ball is the best for this kind of wicket.” Discussing her strategy against left-handed batsmen, she said: “Bowling against left-handers is a big advantage to be off spin and Smriti (Mandhana, her captain) kept saying you have to get all the left-handers out of the tournament. That’s the hard work. No pressure. So yes, we still talk about it and I have a great support system here too.”
The win is a significant milestone for Patil, highlighting her successful return to competitive cricket and the support network that helped her through her recovery.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
January 17, 2026