Richa Ghosh (64*), Ellyse Perry (57), and Kanika Ahuja (30*) played pivotal roles in enabling Royal Challengers Bengaluru to achieve a historic milestone by successfully completing the first 200+ chase in the Women’s Premier League, defeating the Gujarat Giants by six wickets in Vadodara on the inaugural night of the tournament’s third season. The Giants set a formidable target of 201, spearheaded by their new captain Ash Gardner, who delivered an impressive performance with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 79 off just 37 deliveries.
Gardner also made an impact with the ball, dismissing RCB’s openers cheaply in her opening over, before the middle-order launched a counteroffensive. Both teams featured a reassuring half-century from a seasoned player, complemented by a more aggressive innings and a valuable supporting contribution. Ultimately, the match was decided by fielding, as Gujarat Giants’ lapses allowed Perry and Ghosh to complete the record chase with nine balls remaining.
Ash Gardener help Gujarat Giants put up their highest total ever
Batting first, the home team encountered an early setback during the PowerPlay when Renuka Thakur dismissed Laura Wolvaardt, who attempted an ambitious slog across the line. D Hemalatha was also nearly sent back on the first ball, but RCB did not opt for a review following the LBW appeal. This oversight proved inconsequential as Kanika Ahuja, returning to RCB after missing the entire championship-winning season due to injury, claimed a wicket on her fourth delivery. With the score at 41/2, Gardner partnered with Mooney, who hit three consecutive boundaries off Wareham, reaching a half-century in just 37 balls by the midpoint of their innings.
From that point onward, Gardner dominated the proceedings, equaling a record with eight sixes during her innings. In the subsequent six overs, the team amassed 80 runs, with Gardner contributing 48 of those runs as she targeted RCB’s inexperienced spin bowlers, achieving a half-century in just 25 balls. She began her assault with a six off Ahuja in the 11th over, signaling her aggressive intent. In a surprising turn, Smriti Mandhana executed a remarkable catch at short midwicket to dismiss a well-set Mooney, granting Rawat her first wicket. However, the leg-spinner faced severe punishment in the following over, as Gardner hit three consecutive sixes, maintaining a strike rate of 200 for most of her innings.
RCB’s situation was further exacerbated by the lackluster performances of Wareham and Kim Garth, which compounded the challenges faced by their already weakened bowling lineup, missing the successful spin trio from WPL 2024. Dottin aggressively attacked the Australian duo, contributing a significant 25 runs off just 13 balls, never appearing to play a secondary role to the explosive gardener.
Renuka returned to the bowling attack for a particularly dramatic 17th over. Both Gardner and Dottin came close to being dismissed in the deep during the first two deliveries. Dottin was granted a reprieve when Perry dropped an easy catch at long-on, while Gardner narrowly escaped a dismissal on 50 as Wareham managed to deflect the ball back into play, realizing it was heading for a six. Danni Wyatt-Hodge ultimately secured a catch on the second-to-last ball of the over, dismissing Dottin after a brisk 25 runs off 13 balls, with Perry’s earlier error costing RCB only two additional runs.
In the final stages, Gardner targeted the pace of another RCB debutant, Joshitha VJ, resulting in a costly 20-run over that included three more sixes to her name. Newcomer Simran Shaik faced just five balls but made her presence felt with a four and a six off Wareham, who conceded a total of 50 runs in her three overs while claiming a single wicket. Harleen Deol, entering at number seven, concluded the innings with consecutive boundaries, enabling GG to match their highest score of 201.
Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry outperform GGTW's bowling lineup
Kashvee Gautam made her entrance into the WPL with a series of boundaries struck by Mandhana, complemented by a shot from Wyatt-Hodge that concluded a costly opening over. However, Gardner sparked a resurgence for GG by successfully trapping her opponent LBW. Wyatt-Hodge persuaded her captain to initiate an emotional review, which RCB ultimately lost, and in the same over, they also lost their other opener, who was bowled out while attempting to sweep the off-spinner.
Perry was granted a second chance on two runs when Tanuja Kanwer dropped a catch off her own bowling. The seasoned cricketer capitalized on this opportunity by hitting the first six of the chase, which brought RCB’s score to fifty during a dramatic final over of the PowerPlay, where Raghvi Bist narrowly avoided a run-out. Perry received another lifeline at nineteen runs when Deol dropped her at long-on, and she also benefited from a boundary on the last ball of the over, as the two deep fielders watched the ball roll to the boundary.
The Australian continued to enjoy good fortune, receiving yet another reprieve after reaching her half-century. Although she did not hit as many sixes as Gardner, Perry’s fifty off 27 balls was crucial in restoring confidence in RCB’s middle order as they aimed to chase down the substantial target. Perry and Bist formed a partnership of 86 runs over nine overs, with the more experienced player taking on the role of aggressor.
Dotin provided GG with a crucial respite by dismissing Bist, and Sayali Satghare quickly followed suit by taking Perry’s wicket in the next over, delivering a significant setback to RCB. Nevertheless, Ghosh and Ahuja formed a vital partnership, accumulating 93 runs to stabilize RCB amidst an escalating required run rate. With two new batsmen at the crease, RCB required 89 runs from the final seven overs. Ghosh, who had been dropped before scoring, played exceptionally well, ultimately guiding her team to a comfortable victory.
The explosive wicketkeeper-batter dominated Gardner, striking four boundaries and a six as she returned to bowl during the death overs. The GG captain did not bowl her fourth over. Priya Mishra was next in the line of fire, with Ghosh racing to a half-century off just 23 balls, marked by consecutive fours and capped with a six on the final ball. With seven runs needed from the last two overs, Ghosh sealed the match with another six off Dottin, finishing with an impressive 64 not out from just 24 deliveries, earning the Player of the Match award. Meanwhile, Ahuja consistently found the boundary, contributing a valuable 30 not out from only 13 balls.
SCORECARD: Gujarat Giants 201/5 in 20 overs (Ash Gardner 79*, Beth Mooney 56; Renuka Thakur 2-25) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 202/4 in 18.3 overs (Richa Ghosh 64*, Ellyse Perry 57, Kanika Ahuja 30*; Ash Gardner 2-33) by six wickets.
Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry’s partnership was crucial in turning the game around for RCB. Kanika Ahuja’s return to the team added much-needed depth to the middle order. Ash Gardner’s all-round performance highlighted her importance to the Gujarat Giants. Despite setting a high target, Gujarat’s fielding errors cost them the match. Do you think better fielding could have changed the outcome?
What an incredible match! Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, and Kanika Ahuja truly stepped up in a high-pressure situation, showing just how much depth RCB has in their batting lineup. Ash Gardner’s performance was breathtaking—79 off 37 balls is no small feat, and she almost single-handedly set a target that seemed unbeatable. It’s fascinating how the match swung back and forth, with both teams having moments of dominance. The fielding lapses by Gujarat Giants were crucial, and it’s surprising how such small mistakes can change the outcome of a game. Kanika Ahuja’s return was a highlight—her resilience after missing last season is inspiring. Do you think Gujarat Giants could have won if they’d been sharper in the field, or was RCB’s middle-order just too strong to stop?
Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, and Kanika Ahuja действительно показали класс в этом матче! Их вклад в победу Royal Challengers Bengaluru впечатляет, особенно учитывая, что это был первый успешный 200+ чейз в Женской Премьер-лиге. Эшли Гарднер тоже была великолепна, но, похоже, её усилий не хватило, чтобы остановить RCB. Интересно, как команда Gujarat Giants планирует исправлять ошибки в полевой игре, которые, судя по всему, стали решающими в этом матче? Мне кажется, что RCB наконец-то нашли свой ритм, и это может быть началом чего-то большого. А как вы думаете, сможет ли Гарднер в следующих матчах повторить такой же уровень игры, или это был единичный случай?