RCB Spinner Shreyanka Patil Celebrates First T20 Five-Wicket Haul in Comeback Win
Royal Challengers Bengaluru spinner Shreyanka Patil expressed immense joy after securing her maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket. This remarkable performance came during RCB's convincing 32-run victory over Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League. Patil's outstanding figures of 5 for 23 played a crucial role in bundling out the opposition for 150 runs.
Middle-Order Rescue Act Sets Up Competitive Total
RCB found themselves in early trouble at 43 for 4 before their middle-order batters staged a spectacular recovery. Radha Yadav led the charge with a brilliant 66 runs from just 47 deliveries. Her innings included six boundaries and three maximums.
Richa Ghosh provided excellent support with a quickfire 44 off 28 balls. Nadine de Klerk contributed a valuable 26 runs from only 12 deliveries towards the end. These collective efforts propelled RCB to a competitive total of 182 for 7 in their allotted overs.
Patil Reflects on Team Effort and Personal Milestone
During the post-match presentation, Patil immediately credited her teammates for setting up the victory. "I would love to give the credit to Radha because if not for her innings, I do not think we would have put that total up on the board," she stated emphatically.
The young spinner expressed particular happiness about the middle-order partnership between Yadav and Ghosh. "Knowing there were four down, we were 44 for 4, and then to just play those innings, I think it's massive impact," Patil explained. She acknowledged that seeing 170-180 on the board gave the bowling unit significant confidence.
Regarding her personal achievement, Patil could not hide her excitement. "I am very, very happy that I got my first five-wicket haul in T20s," she declared with visible pride.
Overcoming Fourteen Months of Injury Setbacks
Patil opened up about her challenging fourteen-month absence from cricket due to injury. This period caused her to miss significant events including the WPL 2025 and India's triumphant ICC Women's World Cup 2025 campaign.
"The fact that I was out of cricket for 14 months was a big blow for me," Patil revealed. "I am someone who cannot sit quietly. I want to be on the field. I want to be on the cricket field. I want to do what I love doing."
She described this phase as a "rollercoaster ride" but emphasized emerging stronger from the experience. Patil credited her extensive support system including coaches, grandparents, uncle, aunt, and sister who left her job in Bangalore to watch her play.
Preparation and Bowling Philosophy Pay Dividends
The spinner expressed satisfaction with her pre-tournament preparation under coach Arjun in Bengaluru. She noted that her bowling execution is currently falling perfectly into place.
"I am a wicket-taking bowler, and I have always said that," Patil asserted confidently. "I just did not want to be a containing bowler. I wanted to be a wicket-taking bowler and be that impactful bowler for the team in any given situation."
Patil emphasized her readiness for all phases of the game - powerplay, middle overs, or death overs. She attributed her success to keeping things simple, stating that "one's stock ball is the best ball on this kind of wicket."
The off-spinner also acknowledged the advantage against left-handed batters. She revealed that captain Smriti Mandhana kept reminding her to target left-handers throughout the tournament.
Captain Mandhana Praises Team Performance
RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana described the 105-run partnership between Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav as "special to watch." She explained the strategic decision to promote Yadav up the batting order based on her previous performances for Baroda and India A.
Mandhana expressed satisfaction with her bowling unit's variety in both spin and pace departments. However, she cautioned against overconfidence and identified fielding as an area needing improvement.
"We have definitely dropped two catches today, and both were sitters," Mandhana admitted frankly. "So that is something which we really back ourselves to be a really good fielding side with the kind of fielders we have. So that's not acceptable."
Gujarat Giants Captain Analyzes Defeat
GG captain Ashleigh Gardner acknowledged that her team wanted to bowl first and believed the wicket offered opportunities. She praised Radha Yadav's batting performance while admitting her team fed the batter's strengths for too long.
"I still think 180 was very gettable," Gardner reflected. She identified chasing as an area requiring improvement as the tournament moves to the Baroda leg.
The Australian all-rounder noted that her team's finishers batted longer than ideal. Gardner emphasized the need for top-order batters to remain until the fifteenth over to properly set up the innings for the finishing players.
RCB's comprehensive victory showcased both individual brilliance and collective team effort. Shreyanka Patil's triumphant return from injury and maiden T20 five-wicket haul provided the standout narrative of this compelling WPL encounter.
