Gujarat Giants Women snapped their losing streak with an important win over Royal Challengers Bangalore Women, claiming a timely win in the Women’s Premier League. The win narrows the tournament standings, with Gujarat remaining in the playoff hunt as RCB collects their third consecutive home defeat at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Batting first, RCB was struggling right from the beginning, losing Ellyse Perry for a duck when she miscued a pull shot straight to square leg. Wyatt-Hodge followed shortly, caught lbw by Dottin in the very first over. Smriti Mandhana tried to stabilize the innings but was sent back for just 10 after mistiming a slog sweep. Kanika Ahuja had a crucial knock of 33 off 28 balls with two sixes, but her departure signaled RCB’s slide. Richa Ghosh and Raghvi Bist also gave a faint resistance, and Bist produced a towering six before being run out due to a miscommunication. RCB came in for 142/9 in 20 overs.
Gujarat bowlers implemented their strategies well, with Kashvee Gautam sending down a perfect yorker to get Richa Ghosh out. Tanuja Kanwar took a stunning return catch to get Ahuja out, while Gardner, Dottin, and Meghna Singh made sure the pressure never let up on RCB.
Gujarat, on their part, chased the target at a measured pace. Losing a few mid-over wickets, Kim Garth did an important 14 before getting caught behind off to Mooney on Dottin’s slower one. With some calm bat work, Beth Mooney, along with Harleen Deol, saw Gujarat through without trouble and easily closed it out from there. The two veterans set their innings well, rotating the strike well and scoring against loose balls to keep the chase even.
Victory lifts Gujarat Giants’ playoff hopes, but RCB must dig deep to fix their problems, as each game is becoming more vital in the series. The Delhi Capitals are waiting to face off against the Mumbai Indians in another marquee match, which is expected to be a thrilling contest between two of the league’s strongest teams. With each match of utmost importance, the pressure mounts in the WPL 2025, creating an exciting opportunity for a cutthroat fight for the playoffs.
Edited By Anusmriti Ganguly
