Royal Challengers Bangalore got their Women’s Premier League 2025 campaign off to a flying start, defeating Gujarat Giants by six wickets in the tournament’s opening match. The defending champions made light work of Gujarat’s total of 201, chasing it down with nine balls to spare. Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh were the stars of the show for RCB, scoring 57 and 64 not out respectively.
The match, played at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, saw RCB captain Smriti Mandhana win the toss and elect to bowl first. Mandhana’s decision was largely influenced by the potential impact of dew on the game, and it proved to be a wise call. Gujarat’s batters managed to post a competitive total, but the RCB bowlers made the most of the conditions to restrict them to 201. When RCB batted, they lost Mandhana and Danielle Wyatt early, but Perry and Ghosh took full advantage of the favorable conditions to steer their team to a convincing victory.
Gujarat’s total of 201 had seemed like a challenging target, but RCB’s batsmen were undaunted. Perry and Ghosh played sensibly, rotating the strike and hitting boundaries when the opportunity arose. As the innings progressed, the dew began to take effect, making life difficult for the Gujarat bowlers. In the end, RCB’s batting depth and the experience of Perry and Ghosh proved too much for Gujarat, and they sealed a comfortable six-wicket win. The victory is a testament to RCB’s strength and depth, and they will look to build on this momentum as the tournament progresses.