Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Gujarat Giants (GG) by six wickets in yesterday's WPL 2025 match at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. With the triumph, RCB began their title defense on an impressive note.
Bowling first after winning the toss, Royal Challengers Bengaluru conceded 201-5 as new Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner smashed 79* off 37 balls. Richa Ghosh (64* off 27) and Ellyse Perry (57 off 34), however, starred for Bengaluru with the bat as they pulled off the highest successful chase in WPL history.
RCB got off to a poor start in the chase as Gardner dismissed skipper Smriti Mandhana (9) and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (4) in the second over. Perry and Raghvi Bist (25 off 27) then added 86 for the third wicket. Perry raced to a 27-ball 50, clubbing a waist-high no-ball from Deandra Dottin for a maximum.
Bist and Perry fell in quick succession, but Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja (30* off 13) featured in whirlwind stand of 93* for the fifth wicket. Ghosh clobbered Gardner for four fours and six in the 16th over, bringing the equation down to 40 off 24 balls. Both batters kept peppering the boundaries and Ghosh brought up victory in style, with nine balls to spare, clubbing Dottin for a six over deep mid wicket.
Gardner's brilliance guides Gujarat Giants past 200
Sent into bat by RCB, Gujarat Giants lost Laura Wolvaardt for six as she was knocked over by Renuka Singh. Dayalan Hemalatha also perished to Ahuja for four. However, current and former skipper Gardner and Beth Mooney (56 off 42) combined to lift the batting side with a third-wicket stand of 44.
Following Mooney's dismissal, Dottin chipped in with a handy 25 off 13 balls. However, Gardner almost single-handedly dragged GG past the 200-run mark, smacking three fours and as many as eight sixes in her excellent knock. Simran Shaikh (11 off 5) and Harleen Deol (9* off 4) played the support acts.
GG vs RCB: Who was the Player of the Match in yesterday’s WPL 2025 match?
Ghosh and Perry were superb for RCB in the chase. The former struck seven fours and four sixes, while the latter hit six fours and two maximums. Ahuja chipped in with a cameo and a wicket, while Renuka impressed with the ball, registering figures of 2-25.
For GG, skipper Gardner hit a brilliant half-century and dismissed the opposition openers. Opener Mooney also contributed a fine fifty.
Ghosh was named Player of the Match for her stunning counter-attack.
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