RCB vs GG, WPL 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Gujarat Giants (GG) by six wickets in the first match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 season on February 14 (Friday) at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. It was a complete run-fest in the WPL opener with as many as 403 runs being scored in the entire match, the highest aggregate for a WPL game. RCB also scripted history by pulling off the biggest run-chase in the history of the WPL.
Australian star cricketer Ellyse Perry and Indian cricketer Richa Ghosh shone for RCB with fifties while Kanika Ahuja played a powerful 13-ball 30 runs cameo.
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RCB Begin Title Defence With 6-Wicket Win Over GG
The defending champions won the toss and elected to bowl first against Gujarat Giants. Batting first, Gujarat Giants lost two quick wickets at 41 runs, but skipper Ashleigh Gardner (79*) and veteran Beth Mooney (56) took charge, dismantling RCB’s bowling attack. Caribbean power-hitter Deandra Dottin also contributed with a quickfire 25. GG ended up with a massive total of 201/5 in 20 overs, with RCB pacer Renuka Singh Thakur claiming two wickets and being the pick of the bowlers for the team.
Chasing a mammoth 202—the highest target ever in WPL history—RCB suffered an early setback as skipper Smriti Mandhana (9) and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (4) were dismissed in the same over by Ashleigh Gardner, leaving them reeling at 14/2.
Veteran Ellyse Perry (57) reignited RCB’s chase with a fiery knock, taking on the spinners aggressively. She stitched an 86-run partnership with Raghvi Bist (25), who provided stability at the other end. However, both batters fell with the score at 109 in 12.2 overs.
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Requiring 93 more runs in 7.4 overs, Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja turned the game around with a match-winning, unbeaten 93-run partnership off just 37 balls.
Richa scored 64 runs off just 27 balls while Kanika scored a 13-ball 30 run knock. In what was a historic finish, Richa and Kanika helped RCB seal the highest run chase in WPL history with Richa smashing a six off Deandra Dottin over mid-wicket. Her match-winning performance also earned her the Player of the Match award.