In a thrilling encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the Gujarat Giants achieved a convincing six-wicket victory over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in match 12 of the Women’s Premier League 2025 on February 27. After winning the toss, RCB chose to bat first but struggled, managing only a modest total of 125 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs. Tanuja Kanwar and Deandra Dottin played crucial roles for Gujarat, each taking two wickets and keeping RCB’s scoring in check.
In response, the Gujarat Giants chased down the target comfortably, reaching 129 runs in just 16.3 overs. Their captain, Ashleigh Gardner, shone brightly with an impressive innings of 58 runs off just 31 balls. Gardner’s all-round performance, which included taking one wicket as well, earned her the Player of the Match award.
RCB’s start was rocky, with opener Danielle Wyatt-Hodge falling for just 4 runs in the very first over, leaving the home side in a tough spot. Things went from bad to worse when Tanuja Kanwar dismissed Ellyse Perry without scoring, putting RCB at a precarious 16 for 2 in the second over. Captain Smriti Mandhana attempted to stabilize the innings but was dismissed for 10 runs, leaving RCB struggling at 25 for 3.
During a challenging period, Kanika Ahuja and Raghvi Bist combined forces, building a vital partnership of 48 runs for the fourth wicket. Unfortunately, their effort came to a halt when Raghvi was run out after a mix-up. Kanika Ahuja was eventually dismissed for 33 runs by Tanuja Kanwar, and RCB couldn’t recover, finishing their innings with a disappointing total.
Gujarat Giants began their chase slowly, with openers Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalatha managing only 25 runs together before Hemalatha was dismissed. Following that, Renuka Singh picked up another wicket, sending Mooney back for 17 runs. However, Ashleigh Gardner then entered the game and rapidly turned things around. She attacked the RCB bowlers aggressively, scoring a blistering half-century in just 28 balls.
Although RCB managed to get Harleen Deol out cheaply, Gardner’s powerful innings remained dominant. She struck multiple boundaries and scored six fours and three sixes before being caught after making 58 runs. After Gardner’s departure, Phoebe Litchfield played a steady knock of 30 runs, steering the team to victory with plenty of overs to spare.
This win marked Gujarat’s second victory of the season, although they remain at the bottom of the points table with four points from five matches. RCB, despite the loss, holds on to third place, also with four points from five games but benefiting from a better net run rate.
