The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have gotten their Women’s Premier League defence campaign off to a flying start with a comeback victory over the Gujarat Giants at Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium on Saturday morning AEDT.
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The reigning champions pulled off a record run chase in the tournament opener, reeling in the 202-run target with nine balls to spare courtesy of a stunning blitz from wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, who cracked an unbeaten 64 (27) that featured seven boundaries and four sixes.
Giants captain Ash Gardner starred with bat and ball, smacking an unbeaten 79 (37) before dismissing both of Bengaluru’s openers during the second over of the run chase — the Australian cleared the boundary rope on eight occasions to equal the WPL record.
Compatriot Beth Mooney also notched a half-century as the Giants posted 5-210, the team’s equal-highest WPL total. Indian seamer Renuka Singh was the pick of the Bengaluru bowlers with figures of 2-25 from four overs, including the dismissals of South African opener Laura Wolvaardt and West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin.
The Royal Challengers stumbled early in the run chase, with captain Smriti Mandhana and opening partner Danni Wyatt-Hodge dismissed cheaply during the Powerplay. However, Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who slapped 57 from 34 deliveries on return from a hip injury, and Ghosh steered Bengaluru towards the five-wicket triumph.
The Royal Challengers needed 93 runs from 46 deliveries following Perry’s dismissal, but Ghosh, who was dropped by Simran Shaikh first ball, clobbered 23 runs against Gardner in the 16th over to swing momentum back in Bengaluru’s favour.
Ghosh received support from all-rounder Kanika Ahuja, who hit an unbeaten 30 from 13 balls during the death overs, with the duo forming a destructive 93-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
The Giants shot themselves with some sloppy fielding, putting down catches with Perry on 2 and 19, while wicketkeeper Mooney fumbled a run out chance with debutant Raghvi Bist on 15.
“Pretty flattening to be honest,” Gardner admitted during the post-match presentation.
“200 was probably only a par score and we needed to bowl really well. It was not to be unfortunately. We dropped some chances, which hurt us in the end.”
The 404 runs accumulated across the match was the highest aggregate for a WPL match, surpassing the previous record of 391 runs achieved by the same two teams in 2023.
Elsewhere, Australians Kim Garth and Georgia Wareham claimed 0-34 and 1-50 respectively for the Royal Challengers, who next face the Delhi Capitals at the same venue on Tuesday at 1am AEDT.
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