The stage is set for a high-stakes encounter as the Women’s Premier League 2026 moves to its second venue, the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. The 12th match of the season sees the league leaders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), face off against a resilient Gujarat Giants (GG). RCB enter this game with a flawless record, while the Giants are looking to regain momentum after a mixed start to their campaign.
Smriti Mandhana-led juggernaut is currently unstoppable. With four wins in four matches, they have balanced their aggressive batting with disciplined bowling. The form of Mandhana (166 runs) and the bowling brilliance of Nadine de Klerk and Lauren Bell (8 wickets each) have made them the team to beat.
Captain Ashleigh Gardner leads a side that has shown glimpses of brilliance but lacked consistency. Sophie Devine, playing against her former side, has been their standout performer, currently sitting in the top 5 for both most runs (141) and most wickets (8) this season.
GG-W vs RCB-W, WPL 2026: Match Details
- Date and Time: January 19 (Monday); 7:30 pm IST / 2:00 pm GMT
- Venue: BCA Stadium, Vadodara
GG-W vs RCB-W, Head-to-Head Record in WPL
Matches played: 7 | RCB-W won: 4 | GG-W won: 3 | No result: 0
BCA Stadium Pitch Report
The pitch at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi is a classic black-soil surface that primarily acts as a batter’s paradise. It offers consistent, true bounce and good carry, allowing stroke-makers to play through the line with confidence. While the new ball may provide slight lateral movement for pacers, the surface tends to flatten out quickly. As the game progresses, spinners may find some grip, but the heavy dew expected in the evening will likely neutralize their threat, making the ball difficult to grip and favoring the team batting second. Consequently, the captain winning the toss will almost certainly elect to bowl first.
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (c), Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, D. Hemalatha, Sayali Satghare
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner (c), Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Titas Sadhu, Kashee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwer, Georgia Wareham, Anushka Sharma, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Yastika Bhatia, Shivani Singh, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi Soni
GG-W vs RCB-W, WPL 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- RCB-W wins the toss and bowls first
- Gujarat Giants’ powerplay score: 50-60 (6 overs)
- Gujarat Giants’ total score: 175-190
Case 2:
- Gujarat Giants wins the toss and bowls first
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s powerplay score: 55-65 (6 overs)
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s total score: 185-200
Match result: Team bowling first to win the game.
Also WATCH: Nandini Sharma takes a sensational hat-trick in WPL 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
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