Shreyanka Patil praises Gautami Naik as RCB secure WPL playoffs spot

Shreyanka Patil lauded Gautami Naik's maiden WPL fifty after RCB's fifth straight win in WPL 2026. The victory against Gujarat Giants secured RCB the first playoff spot, with Naik's powerful batting and the team's all-round performance.

India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Shreyanka Patil heaped praise on the uncapped Indian batting all-rounder Gautami Naik and expressed delight at tthe team's fifth consecutive victory in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 tournament on Monday and becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Shreyanka Patil praised Gautami Naik, who scored her maiden fifty in the WPL and helped RCB secure their fifth win this season.

'Not many can hit the ball that big'

Shreyanka said Gautami's strong batting was expected, given her domestic performances. She highlighted Gautami's power-hitting ability and credited her hard work and extra effort. "I mean, personally, if you ask me, the way she batted. We all knew that it was coming soon because I had watched it closely in the domestic circuit as well. The way she hits the ball, not many can hit the ball that big in domestic. She has worked really hard, she has put in the extra yards in fielding, batting and bowling also," she said.

RCB continue dominant run

RCB continued their dominant run in the WPL 2026 by defeating Gujarat Giants (GG) by 61 runs in Vadodara, registering their fifth consecutive win and firmly sitting atop the points table with a perfect record. Batting first, RCB posted a competitive 178/6 in 20 overs, powered by an outstanding 73 off 55 balls from uncapped Indian batter Gautami Naik, who notched up her maiden WPL half-century. Contributions from Smriti Mandhana (26) and Richa Ghosh (27) helped RCB recover from an early collapse. For GG, Ash Gardner and Kashvee Gautam picked up two wickets each. In response, the Gujarat Giants were rocked early by RCB's pace attack. Sayali Sathghare struck twice in the second over, and GG collapsed to 5/3 inside three overs. Despite a fighting 54 from Ash Gardner, GG never recovered and finished at 117/8 in 20 overs. Sayali was the standout bowler with 3/21, well supported by Nadine de Klerk (2/17) and Lauren Bell (1/23).

'Team camaraderie is actually really good'

Shreyanka Patil said the team is delighted with five consecutive wins, achieved despite a demanding schedule of three matches in four days and travel. She credited the management and physios for ensuring players' recovery and also highlighted the strong team camaraderie. "I mean, obviously, we're very happy that we got five in a row wins now. It wasn't that easy for us over the last four days to play three games and a travel day as well. So the team, the management, and the physios have really put in that extra effort to make sure all the players are recovered well, giving water, giving electrols the massage. Everything is happening so well, and the team camaraderie is actually really good, and we are having fun right now," Shreyanka said.

With this win, RCB have already qualified for the playoffs, while GG, now fourth with two wins from five matches, face an uncertain road ahead. (ANI)

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