Defending champions RCB record their highest-ever successful chase, beat GG in WPL 2025 opener
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 got underway on Friday with the highly anticipated clash between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Giants (GG). In a thrilling contest, RCB emerged victorious by six wickets, chasing down a target of 202 with six wickets remaining. This win marked RCB’s highest-ever successful run chase in the WPL, and it was a statement of intent from the defending champions.
GG, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, won the toss and elected to bat first. The Giants got off to a decent start, with Sabbhineni Meghana and Harleen Deol putting on 45 runs for the opening wicket. However, RCB’s bowlers, led by Rashi Kolkhare, who picked up two wickets, restricted GG’s scoring rate. The Giants managed to post a total of 201/7, with Meghana top-scoring with 43 off 34 balls.
In response, RCB’s batting lineup, led by Richa Ghosh, who scored an unbeaten 64 off 27 balls, chased down the target with ease. The 19-year-old Ghosh, who has been in excellent form recently, played a match-winning innings, smashing seven fours and three sixes. Her partnership with Sophie Devine, who scored 28 off 24 balls, proved to be the turning point in the chase. The duo added 68 runs in just 5.2 overs, putting RCB in a strong position.
The win was a testament to RCB’s batting depth, with Ghosh, Devine, and Jemimah Rodrigues all contributing to the chase. RCB’s bowlers, who had restricted GG’s scoring rate earlier, also did their job in the second innings, conceding 27 runs in the final two overs to give their team a comfortable win.
“Richa’s innings was incredible,” said RCB captain Smriti Mandhana after the match. “She played with a lot of freedom and took the game away from Gujarat Giants. We knew we had to chase it down to win, and Richa’s innings made it look easy.”
For GG, it was a disappointing start to the tournament, but they will take heart from their total, which was competitive despite the loss. “We needed a few more runs on the board,” said GG captain Harmanpreet Kaur. “We had a good start, but we lost a few wickets in the middle overs. We’ll learn from our mistakes and come back stronger in the next match.”
The win marked a perfect start to the WPL 2025 for RCB, who will look to build on this momentum in their next match. For GG, it was a tough loss, but they will have an opportunity to regroup and come back stronger in their next encounter.
Match Details
- Gujarat Giants Women vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women, 1st Match, WPL 2025
- Date: March 3, 2025
- Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
- Result: RCB Women won by 6 wickets
- Gujarat Giants Women: 201/7 in 20 overs (Sabbhineni Meghana 43, Harleen Deol 28; Rashi Kolkhare 2/24)
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: 202/4 in 19.2 overs (Richa Ghosh 64*; Sophie Devine 28, Jemimah Rodrigues 24)
