WPL 2025: Richa, Perry help RCB past Gujarat Giants in a run fest – Talking Points

Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh scored attacking half-centuries as reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru kicked off their 2025 Women's Premier League campaign with a six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.

Earlier, Smriti Mandhana had won the toss for the Royal Challengers and asked the Gujarat Giants to bat first.

Led by opener Beth Mooney (56) and skipper Ashleigh Gardner's (79*) half centuries, the Giants posted a massive 201/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru, however, made quick work of the target, chasing down the total with nine balls to spare.

Here are the talking points from the match:

Highest successful run chase

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru recorded the highest successful run chase in the Women's Premier League history, scoring 202/4 in just 18.3 overs.

Skipper Mandhana and debutant Danielle Wyatt-Hodge helped RCB to a rapid start with three boundaries in the first over, but both fell cheaply in the next over to Gardner's off-spin.

Perry (57) and Raghavi Bist (25) then stitched an 86-run stand for the third wicket to keep the defending champions in the hunt. However, they were prized out within a span of three overs.

Ghosh (64*) and Kanika Ahuja (30*), who was marking a return to the WPL after missing the last season with an injury, then joined hands for a 93-run partnership to take Royal Challengers Bengaluru home. It was the third-highest partnership for RCB in WPL history.

Fielding gaffe galore

'Catches win you matches,' is possibly the most used cliche in cricket. That's exactly what the Giants failed to do on Friday.

They handed Perry two lives – once while she was batting on just 2 and then later when she was on 19. The Australian all-rounder made most of the opportunity as she became only the second player to cross the 650-run mark in WPL.

Later, the Giants also handed a life to Richa Ghosh when she was dropped at long on by Simran Shaikh off the very first ball she faced.

With multiple misfields going to the boundary and five runs off an overthrow, ground fielding wasn't anything to write home either for the hosts who need to improve leaps and bounds on the field if they are to put up a fight in the tournament.

Gardner mayhem

Skipper Gardner caused a mayhem in the RCB camp with a stunning onslaught with the bat in the first innings.

The 27-year-old Australian took her time to settle in as the Giants struggled at 41-2 in the seventh over when she entered the field. Once she got her eye in, Gardner went berserk.

The power hitting display started in the 14th over as Gardner took a liking to the young Prema Rawat. She went from batting on 15 off 14 to 33 off 17 as she launched the young leg spinner for three consecutive sixes.

There was no looking back for Gardner as she smacked eight sixes – the joint highest in a WPL innings.

Gardner found an able ally in the experienced Deandra Dottin, who smashed 25 off 13, as the Giants picked the bones out of the RCB attack in death overs.

Opener and former captain Mooney also played her part earlier with a fluent 56 off 42 with eight boundaries.

'Take it deep'

Wicket-keeper Ghosh was fabulous with the way she approached the run chase for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

She entered the field with the score reading 100-3 at the end of the 11th over. RCB soon lost Perry and with two new batters at the crease in Ghosh and Ahuja, the match seemed to be slipping away.

However, Ahuja took on the role of early aggressor, allowing Ghosh to settle in.

Once the India international got her eye in, she went all guns blazing. Opposition skipper Gardner faced the brunt as Ghosh struck four boundaries and a six off her when he returned to bowl at the death.

Gardner conceded 23 runs in that over and it essentially turned the tied of the match.

Ghosh finished the match in style as well, slotting Dottin way past the mid-wicket boundary with a pull shot.

"I want to take a bit of time and see how the pitch was reacting," Ghosh told the broadcasters. "I wanted to take it deep and play my natural game."