Before Monday’s fixture in the Women’s Premier League, Gautami Naik was a largely unknown commodity in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s star-studded batting unit. That is likely to change after the 27-year-old’s 55-ball 73 — the middle-order batter’s first half-century in her first season — powered the former champion to a 61-run victory against Gujarat Giants at the Kotambi Stadium. It extended RCB’s streak this season to five wins in as many matches, and also made it the first team to cement a playoff berth.
Having compiled 178 for six in 20 overs, Smriti Mandhana and Co. restricted the Giants to 117 for eight thanks to a collective bowling effort spearheaded by Sayali Satghare (4-0-21-3). The hosts lost a heap of wickets up front in the chase, leaving skipper Ashleigh Gardner with too much to do on her own. The ace all-rounder put up a valiant effort with a contribution of 54, but her dismissal in the 17th over was the final nail.
During the course of Gautami’s enterprising knock, she forged handy partnerships of 60 and 69 with Smriti and Richa Ghosh respectively.
RCB had a sedate start to its innings, moving along to 37 for two at the end of the PowerPlay with Grace Harris and Georgia Voll back in the dugout. Once the fielding restrictions eased, Gautami managed to up the ante with a sumptuous flick off Renuka that sailed over deep square leg for the game’s first maximum. In the same over, Smriti punished a back-of-a-length ball with a short-arm pull for four.
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Shortly after, however, Gardner snared the all-important wicket of Smriti. Rather than getting bogged down by the downfall of the RCB captain, Gautami was able to take charge in Richa’s company. In the 12th over, leggie Georgia Wareham conceded 13 runs, with Gautami creaming a cover drive for four and Richa smashing a six in the direction of long-off.
The RCB wicketkeeper belted two more maximums in a 17-run 16th over by left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar. If not for the Giants dismissing Richa and Gautami in the space of three deliveries, RCB’s margin of victory could have been bigger.
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