Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 17 (ANI): Following her side's win over Gujarat Giants (GG), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) spinner Shreyanka Patil reflected on getting her first-ever five-wicket haul in T20s and a more than year long time away from the game due to injury which brought with it plenty of ups and downs in her cricket and life.

Fine contributions in the middle-order from Radha Yadav (66 in 47 balls, with six fours and three sixes), Richa Ghosh (44 in 28 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Nadine de Klerk (26 in 12 balls, with two fours and sixes) took RCB to 182/7 from a scary situation of 43/4. A competitive total like this let Shreyanka (5/23) and pacer Lauren Bell (3/29) do their magic with the ball, leaving the Gujarat Giants (GG) 32 runs short of a win by bundling them out for 150 runs.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Shreyanka said, 'Firstly, I would love to give the credit to Radha because if not for her innings, I do not think so we would have put that total up on the board. I am really happy the way Richa and Radha contributed in the first innings, knowing there were four down, we were 44 for 4, and then to just play those innings, I think it's massive impact and it gave us a lot of confidence seeing that 170-180 on the board. Gave us a lot of confidence knowing dew is gonna play a major role.'

Shreyanka also said that the team did not encounter that much dew while bowling, and on her fifer, said, 'I am very, very happy that I got my first five-wicket haul in T20s.'

The young spin bowling all-rounder also spoke on her time away from the game, costing her almost 14 months' worth of action, including the WPL 2025, ICC Women's World Cup 2025, which India won, marking their first major world title. She described the phase as a 'rollercoaster ride'.

'I came out of it in a very strong way. I would say I think I did go through my support system. My coaches here, my grandparents are here, and my uncle and aunt are also here supporting. My sister also, she left her job and she came all the way from Bangalore to watch me. So I'm very happy, and just that the fact that I was out of cricket for 14 months was a big blow for me because 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 added.

Shreyanka said that she feels happy with her preparation that she got before the tournament last month with her coach Arjun, in Bengaluru and the bowling in terms of execution 'is falling in place right now'.

'I am a wicket-taking bowler, and I have always said that because the drift I get, the turn I get on the bounce I get is something I am not seeing much. I am getting a lot of credit for myself. I do not know why. But yeah, I think I have worked towards it. 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, be it the powerplay, be it the middle overs or the death, because I have prepared so well in any given phase of the game. I know that I am looking to get wickets,' she added.

The spinner focused on keeping things simple, saying that one's 'stock ball is the best ball on this kind of wicket'.

'And obviously bowling against left-handers is a big advantage, advantage being an off-spinner, and Smriti (Mandhana, her skipper) kept saying that you have to get all the lefties out in the tournament. That is the hard work. No pressure at all. So yeah, that is what we keep talking about, and I have got a lovely support system here as well. So yeah,' he added.

Also, Smriti Mandhana, the RCB skipper, said that the partnership of 105-runs for the fifth wicket between Richa and Radha was 'special to watch'.

'Then, yeah, eventually coming in and bowling those overs, crucial overs and getting those crucial wickets. I mean, overall, the whole team performed really well today. (on Radha's promotion up the order at number five) Well, she has always played that role for the state cricket for Baroda. And she has always done well, even when India A toured Australia A. We knew that she always bats at that order. And we always look at her as a finisher. But I feel that order was something. Then, when we lost out on Pooja (Vastrakar, another all-rounder) for the first four, five matches, where we thought of her pre-auction, then I mean the easiest walk was Radha because she has done that for the state team,' she added.

Smriti hailed the variety of her bowling line-up in spin and pace alike, but said one cannot be overconfident. She also pointed out that the fielding is something the side wants to work on.

'We have definitely dropped two catches today, and both were sitters. 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,' he added.

GG captain Ashleigh Gardner said that the team wanted to bowl first indeed, and there was something on the wicket for them to do something good.

'I think, you know, we set the aim up and ,then I think, yeah, Radha obviously batted really, really. We probably fed our strength for probably too long, and then she kind of got going, and then obviously we know the threat that Rich (Richa) presents us. And unfortunately, we were not able to, I guess, pull them back as quickly as we probably should have. So yeah, I still think 180 was very gettable,' she added.

Gardner admitted that the team needs to work on their chasing, and they have to work on it going into the Baroda leg of the tournament. She also admitted that the finishers batted for a 'bit longer than they would have liked' since one or two of their top four or five should have been out there till the 15th over to set things up for the finishers. (ANI)