GG vs RCB: The Gujarat Giants put on a dominant display to kill off the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a six-wicket victory in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Thursday. The shove through the lines came from captain Ashleigh Gardner after her match-winning half-century was enough to finish the chasing team with a considerable amount of runs in a mere 31 balls. The loss marks RCB’s third in a row, suggesting near-meltdown struggles, while Gujarat Giants recorded their second win of the campaign.
RCB Batting Collapse
Earlier during the match, Gujarat’s bowlers delivered a brilliant performance to keep RCB at their lowest score of the season. Tracked by Deandra Dottin, who picked two wickets for 31 runs, and left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar, who also picked two wickets for a mere 16 runs, Gujarat’s bowlers controlled the RCB batting order.
RCB’s top order collapsed in pressure situations, but top gun Smriti Mandhana (10 runs), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (4 runs), and in-form Alice Perry (0 runs) all got bowled cheaply in the powerplay. This early fall backtracked RCB, and they could not recover.
Kanika Ahuja (33 runs from 28 balls) and Raghavi Bisht (22 runs from 19 balls) displayed some strength in the middle order by scoring 48 runs in 37 balls for the fourth wicket. The partnership was disrupted when Bharti Fulmali ran out of Raghavi, and shortly later, Kanika was run out by Tanuja.
RCB’s resistance was over as Gujarat’s bowlers strangled them, with the late-order batting failing to bring the required acceleration. Georgia Verham (20 not out) and Richa Ghosh (9 runs) attempted to mount a revival with a 21-run stand, but Gujarat’s bowlers were in charge, with Richa bowled out by an incredible yorker from Kashvi.
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Gujarat Giants Chase Down 125 with Ease
Following the restriction of RCB to a paltry total of 125 runs for seven wickets, Gujarat Giants chased down the target in only 16.3 overs at the cost of four wickets. Gardner’s 58-run knockoff of 31 balls with six fours and three sixes was the most notable contribution during the chase. Her aggressive knock enabled Gujarat to remain ahead of the required run rate during the chase, and she played a key role in leading her side to victory.
Gardner and Litchfield’s Match-Winning Partnership
The game turned in favor of the chase when Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield added a 51-run fourth-wicket partnership in 36 balls. Their forceful strokeplay destroyed RCB’s bowling unit, and it was clear that the match was drifting out of RCB’s hands.
Litchfield stayed not out on 30 runs, showing maturity along with Gardner, and they won the match comfortably. Despite Gardner’s removal in the 16th over, the game was in the hands of Gujarat, and Litchfield sealed the deal with a six, giving Gujarat Giants a richly deserved second victory of the season.
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Early Breakthroughs Set RCB Back
RCB’s troubles started right at the start of their innings when they lost their main players during the powerplay. RCB, who had won the toss and opted to bat, saw their top order being demolished by Gujarat bowlers. Georgia Verham and Renuka Singh Thakur picked up two wickets each to prevent RCB’s top order from settling. Renuka’s double strike proved to be decisive—she sent both Beth Mooney (taken by Verham) and Dayalan Hemalatha (stumped by Richa Ghosh) packing, leaving RCB reeling at 34-3 after the fifth over.
Gardner’s Brilliant Power-Hitting
Gujarat’s pursuit in motion, Ashleigh Gardner displayed her class and skill to flip the game in her side’s favor. Gardner started with a boundary before opening up into a fierce rampage, scoring 19 runs in one over with three successive fours and a six off Prema Rawat in the ninth over.
Her destructive batting, assisted by Litchfield’s resolute support, made the task seem less of a challenge. Gardner’s rampage continued, and she wrapped the match up in two successive sixes off Verham in the 16th over. While Gardner was later on fired, her work had already placed Gujarat in a dominant position.
RCB’s Bowling Struggles
On the bowling side, RCB’s bowlers could not hold back the run flow, with Renuka Singh Thakur and Georgia Verham taking two wickets apiece. Even so, despite all their efforts, RCB couldn’t stop the Gujarat Giants’ chase. The pressure on the bowlers just kept increasing, and the lack of support from the fielders only made it more difficult.
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