WPL 2025: Captain Gardner’s Heroics Propel Gujarat Giants to Commanding Total Against RCB

Vadodara, Feb 14 (NationPress) The Gujarat Giants kicked off their 2025 Women’s Premier League journey with a bang, amassing an impressive total of 201/5, equaling their highest score in the tournament, against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Kotambi Stadium on Friday. After a shaky start, skipper Ashleigh Gardner took charge, scoring an unbeaten 79 at a blistering strike rate of 213.51, propelling her team past the coveted 200-run mark.

The opening pair of Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt, who had built a formidable 140-run partnership against RCB in 2024, began strongly with Renuka Singh opening the bowling. Mooney wasted no time, driving Renuka for a boundary on just the second ball of the match.

Wolvaardt quickly followed suit with a boundary of her own in the second over off Kim Garth, but her innings ended prematurely.

Captain Smriti Mandhana opted to continue with Renuka, and the decision paid off as the pacer struck in the fifth over, bowling Wolvaardt with a well-placed delivery that tempted her into a risky shot.

Dayalan Hemalatha faced a close LBW call on the very next ball, which Smriti wisely decided against reviewing due to the ball's height.

Hemalatha struggled to find her footing, eventually falling to Kanika Ahuja, who took her wicket in her opening over, leading to a simple catch for Prema Rawat.

Meanwhile, Mooney was on the path to her fifty, achieving the milestone in just 37 balls. She was soon joined by Gardner, who was captaining the Giants for the first time. The pair carefully rotated the strike until the tenth over, where Mooney targeted Georgia Wareham with three consecutive boundaries. Gardner then joined in the fun, sending Kanika’s delivery over long-off for the match's first six.

Mooney's innings ended in the next over as debutant Prema claimed her first wicket for RCB, catching Mooney at midwicket. Deandra Dottin, also making her debut for the Giants, partnered with Gardner, forming a crucial 67-run partnership to stabilize the innings.

Gardner’s assault began in the 15th over, hitting Prema for three successive sixes over long-off, mid-wicket, and deep square-leg. Dottin also contributed, smashing three consecutive boundaries off Georgia in the following over.

Smriti turned to Renuka for her final over, and she delivered by dismissing Dottin. However, Gardner was relentless, hitting three more sixes against V.J. Joshitha in the 18th over. She concluded the innings unbeaten at 79, scored off just 37 deliveries, including three boundaries and eight sixes, falling just one short of equaling the record for the most sixes in a WPL match.

Brief scores:

Gujarat Giants 201/5 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 79 not out, Beth Mooney 56, Deandra Dottin 25; Renuka Singh 2-25, Kanika Ahuja 1-19) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru.