WPL 2026: Shivani Handed Debut As GG Elect To Bowl First Against Unbeaten RCB

WPL 2026: Shivani handed debut as GG elect to bowl first against unbeaten RCB (Image Source: IANS)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Shivani Singh has been handed her debut in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 as Gujarat Giants (GG) won the toss and elected to bowl first against the unbeaten Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a clash at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Friday.

RCB have won their first two games, while GG are seeking a win after suffering their first defeat of the season. Both sides are level on four points, and a win for either of them will get them the top spot in the points table.

After winning the toss, Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner said Shivani comes in the playing eleven in place of Ayushi Soni. “I think nothing really changes for us in terms of process. Over the last couple of games, it’s shown that it’s a used wicket. With a harder ball, the spinners do get a little bit out of it as well. For our bowling group, it’s about taking early wickets and then trying to restrict them to a chaseable total.

“It’s quite hard to defend on this ground, so ultimately we want to keep them to as little as possible and then let our batting do the talking at the end. Our batting has been great, no doubt, but there are definitely areas with the ball where we can improve. That’s always the case," said Gardner.

“It might sound cliché, but it’s about sticking to what we do really well. Of course, you consider the opposition, but it’s more about keeping things simple. At this ground, you need two or three options with the ball because it’s really nice to bat on. So we just need to be very clear at the top of our mark, whether we’re trying to restrict or take wickets,” she added.

RCB captain Smriti Mandhana said her side is unchanged. "Toss is never in your control. I think it’s good to experience different situations early in the tournament. If you keep bowling first initially and then later have to bat first, it helps. I’m happy with it. The wicket has been pretty even in terms of batting first or fielding. If we play good cricket, the toss won’t matter as much.

She also spoke about the good work ethic, keeping the team in good standing. “It’s more about continuing the same things. Doing the basics right. The work ethic in this team has been really good. Everyone is working extremely hard. I see a lot of girls hitting the gym, and it’s been hard for our coach to get everyone out of the nets, even after practice, which is always a good sign.

“So it’s about keeping all of that intact till the end of the season. It really depends on the situation. We don’t want to label it as one particular way of playing. It depends on how the situation is and how well we’re timing the ball," she added.

Asked about her opening partner, Grace Harris, Smriti said, “With Grace (Harris), you don’t really need to tell her how to bat; she bats the way she bats. For all of us, it’s about executing what we plan. If we need to play the anchor role, we should be able to do that too. We want to play positive and aggressive cricket, but I wouldn’t say that’s the only way we’re going to go forward.”

Playing XIs:

Asked about her opening partner, Grace Harris, Smriti said, “With Grace (Harris), you don’t really need to tell her how to bat; she bats the way she bats. For all of us, it’s about executing what we plan. If we need to play the anchor role, we should be able to do that too. We want to play positive and aggressive cricket, but I wouldn’t say that’s the only way we’re going to go forward.”

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (captain), Dayalan Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Linsey Smith, and Lauren Bell

Article Source: IANS