Gujarat Giants, who were at the bottom of the table, broke their streak of losses with a strong six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League match in Bengaluru on Thursday. Ashleigh Gardner played a crucial role in this win, scoring a rapid 58 runs off just 31 balls.
Gujarat Giants decided to bowl first and their bowlers performed well. Deandra Dottin and Tanuja Kanwar each took two wickets, restricting RCB to a low score of 125 for 7. Gardner also contributed with the ball, taking one wicket.
Gujarat Giants chased down the target in just 16.3 overs. Gardner’s explosive innings included three sixes and six fours, marking her third fifty in the tournament. She reached her half-century in only 28 balls, hitting two consecutive sixes to achieve the milestone.
Although Gujarat Giants lost a few early wickets, with Beth Mooney, Dayalan Hemalatha, and Harleen Deol falling cheaply, Gardner took control of the innings. She aggressively scored 19 runs in one over, which shifted the momentum completely in Gujarat Giants’ favor.
From that point, Gujarat Giants comfortably reached their second victory of the season. Earlier, choosing to bat first, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a poor start, losing three wickets within the powerplay with only 25 runs on the board. Key players like Smriti Mandhana, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and Ellyse Perry were dismissed for low scores.
Kanika Ahuja and Ragvi Bist tried to counter-attack and added 48 runs together, but Gujarat Giants bounced back, taking wickets quickly and preventing a large total. Georgia Wareham and Richa Ghosh attempted to rebuild the innings towards the end, but Kashvee Gautam bowled Ghosh with a yorker, ensuring Gujarat Giants remained in control and ultimately won the match decisively.
