The Gujarat Giants snapped a three-match losing streak with a commanding six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chasing a modest 126, Ash Gardner’s explosive 58 (33 balls) dismantled RCB’s attack, sealing victory with 21 balls to spare. Gardner’s assault, highlighted by a 19-run over against rookie Prema Rawat, shifted momentum decisively after the Giants stumbled to 32/2. Earlier, RCB’s batting faltered again as Ellyse Perry fell for a golden duck, and Smriti Mandhana labored to 10 off 20 balls.
Kanika Ahuja’s gritty 33 (27) offered fleeting hope, but Tanuja Kanwar (2/16) and Kashvee Gautam’s fiery spell restricted RCB to 125/7. Renuka Thakur’s 2/24 briefly revived RCB, but Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield’s unbroken 51-run partnership sealed their third straight home defeat. The win lifts Giants, RCB, and UP Warriorz into a tense four-point logjam, intensifying the playoff race with RCB’s latest losing streak.
Ash Gardner’s Match-Winning Knock Powers Gujarat Giants
Ash Gardner’s explosive 58 off 33 balls guided Gujarat Giants to a six-wicket win over RCB. Her aggressive 19-run over against Prema Rawat (three fours, one six) shifted momentum decisively. Gardner’s calculated attack neutralized RCB’s spin threat, including back-to-back sixes off Georgia Wareham. Her third WPL 2025 fifty came in 28 balls, anchoring the chase of 126.
Partnering with Phoebe Litchfield (30*), she sealed victory with 21 balls left. Gardner’s all-round impact (1/27 with the ball) earned Player of the Match honors. This win lifted Giants to four points, tying them with RCB and UP Warriorz in a tight playoff race like the matches happening in CT 2025 Dubai International Stadium.
Kashvee Gautam’s Fiery Spell Stifles RCB’s Top Order
Kashvee Gautam’s pace dismantled RCB’s batting, restricting them to 125/7. The 21-year-old troubled Smriti Mandhana with late swing, conceding just four runs in her first two overs.
Her pressure led to Mandhana’s dismissal (10 off 20) against spin. Gautam’s early breakthroughs set the tone, with Ellyse Perry falling for a duck. Her disciplined line and aggression highlighted her rising reputation as a WPL star. Supported by Tanuja Kanwar (2/16), Gautam’s spell exposed RCB’s over-reliance on Perry and Mandhana. This performance cemented her role as the Giants’ pace spearhead in critical games like Gujarat Giants matches.
RCB’s Batting Collapse Highlights Season Struggles
RCB’s top-order collapse (16/2 in two overs) mirrored their inconsistent WPL 2025 campaign. Perry’s first-ever WPL duck and Mandhana’s sluggish 10 off 20 derailed momentum. Kanika Ahuja’s 33 (27 balls) and Wareham’s 20* offered brief resistance.
Ahuja’s power-hitting against spin, including two sixes, showcased her growth post-injury. However, RCB lost 4/25 in the death overs, limping to 125/7. Their third straight home defeat exposed batting frailties and over-dependence on Perry. The loss left them winless in Bengaluru, complicating their playoff hopes, as it happened in Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mohali, during the IPL tournament.
RCB Women vs GG Women, 12th Match at Bengaluru, WPL, Feb 27, 2025 – Full Scorecard
GG Women won by 6 wickets (with 21 balls remaining)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (20 ovs maximum)
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Smriti Mandhana (c)
|
c Deol b Kanwar | 10 | 20 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 | ||
|
Danni Wyatt-Hodge
|
lbw b Dottin | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
|
Ellyse Perry
|
c Kanwar b Gardner | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
|
Raghvi Bist
|
run out (Fulmali) | 22 | 19 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 115.78 | ||
|
Kanika Ahuja
|
c & b Kanwar | 33 | 28 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 117.85 | ||
|
Richa Ghosh †
|
b Gautam | 9 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 90.00 | ||
|
Georgia Wareham
|
not out | 20 | 21 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 95.23 | ||
|
Kim Garth
|
c †Mooney b Dottin | 14 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 93.33 | ||
|
Sneh Rana
|
not out | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
| Extras | (lb 5, nb 2, w 5) | 12 | |||||||
| Total |
20 Ov (RR: 6.25)
|
125/7 | |||||||
|
Did not bat: Prema Rawat,
Renuka Singh
|
|||||||||
|
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 0.5 ov), 2-16 (Ellyse Perry, 1.6 ov), 3-25 (Smriti Mandhana, 5.2 ov), 4-73 (Raghvi Bist, 11.3 ov), 5-78 (Kanika Ahuja, 12.3 ov), 6-99 (Richa Ghosh, 15.6 ov), 7-122 (Kim Garth, 19.4 ov) • DRS
|
|||||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Deandra Dottin
|
4 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 7.75 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
|
Ashleigh Gardner
|
4 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 5.50 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
|
Kashvee Gautam
|
4 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 4.25 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
|
Tanuja Kanwar
|
4 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 4.00 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Dayalan Hemalatha
|
1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|
Priya Mishra
|
1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 18.00 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Meghna Singh
|
2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 6.00 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Gujarat Giants Women (T: 126 runs from 20 ovs)
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Beth Mooney †
|
c Wareham b Renuka Singh | 17 | 20 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 85.00 | ||
|
Dayalan Hemalatha
|
st †Ghosh b Renuka Singh | 11 | 15 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 73.33 | ||
|
Harleen Deol
|
c Perry b Wareham | 5 | 10 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | ||
|
Ashleigh Gardner (c)
|
c & b Wareham | 58 | 31 | 41 | 6 | 3 | 187.09 | ||
|
Phoebe Litchfield
|
not out | 30 | 21 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 142.85 | ||
|
Deandra Dottin
|
not out | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Extras | (b 1, w 4) | 5 | |||||||
| Total |
16.3 Ov (RR: 7.63)
|
126/4 | |||||||
|
Did not bat: Kashvee Gautam,
Bharti Fulmali,
Tanuja Kanwar,
Meghna Singh,
Priya Mishra
|
|||||||||
|
Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Dayalan Hemalatha, 4.6 ov), 2-32 (Beth Mooney, 6.2 ov), 3-66 (Harleen Deol, 9.4 ov), 4-117 (Ashleigh Gardner, 15.4 ov) • DRS
|
|||||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Renuka Singh
|
4 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 6.00 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Kim Garth
|
2.3 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 7.60 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
|
Sneh Rana
|
4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5.75 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Prema Rawat
|
1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19.00 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Georgia Wareham
|
3 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 8.66 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
|
Ellyse Perry
|
1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Kanika Ahuja
|
1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Renuka Thakur’s Early Strikes Fail to Save RCB
Renuka Thakur’s 2/24 gave RCB hope, reducing Giants to 32/2 in seven overs. She dismissed D Hemalatha (11) and Beth Mooney (8), exploiting early movement. Smriti Mandhana’s tactic to bowl Renuka out upfront backfired later as the Giants’ middle order dominated, as she did in her spectacular t20 performances.
Despite her efforts, Rawat’s 19-run over (targeting Gardner) undid RCB’s control. Renuka’s lack of support from other bowlers highlighted RCB’s inconsistent attack. Her form remains a silver lining, but poor death bowling cost them crucial points in a must-win game.
Phoebe Litchfield’s Composed Finish Seals Giants’ Victory
Phoebe Litchfield’s unbeaten 30* (28 balls) ensured the Giants chased 126 without panic. Her inventive reverse sweeps against Sneh Rana negated spin threats. A dropped catch by Richa Ghosh on 11 proved costly as Litchfield accelerated. Partnering with Gardner, she added 51 off 36 balls, maintaining a 130+ strike rate. Her calmness under pressure and game awareness boosted the Giants’ net run rate.
The Australian’s WPL debut season contributions (2 matches, 45 runs) signal her growing role. Litchfield’s maturity complemented Gardner’s aggression, showcasing the Giants’ balanced batting depth in critical moments.
