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CRICKET
WPL 2025, GG vs RCB: The third season of the Women's Premier League commences today, featuring the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, facing off against the Gujarat Giants.
Franchise cricket has made its return to India with the launch of the Women’s Premier League, ushering in a time when the country’s top players swap their blue jerseys for the colorful kits of their teams. The third season of the WPL kicks off today, with the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore, looking to start their title defense on a high note. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Giants are eager to improve their standing after struggling at the bottom of the table in the last two seasons.
This season, RCB is led by the talented Smriti Mandhana, who previously guided the team to its first tournament victory in either the IPL or WPL. However, RCB is currently facing an injury crisis, with key players like Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, and Sophie Devine out of action. The absence of spin bowlers Asha Sobhana and Shreyanka Patil, who played crucial roles in their previous title win, may force RCB to field a makeshift lineup at the start. The team will be looking to Mandhana and Richa Ghosh to deliver strong performances.
On the other hand, the Gujarat Giants have revamped their leadership and coaching staff in hopes of turning their fortunes around in the WPL. With just four wins and 12 losses over the past two seasons, Ashleigh Gardner has stepped in as captain, taking over from Beth Mooney. The Giants have also made key acquisitions during the auction, bringing in Simran Shaikh and Deandra Dottin to strengthen their batting order and add much-needed power.
Follow GUJ-W vs RCB-W highlights here
Perry hits a full toss for a boundary to bring up her fifty and gets a free hit after a successful no-ball review. However, she only manages to score a single off the free hit. Raghvi is then caught out by Sayali off a slower ball from Dottin.
Kim Garth bowls the last over, starting with a dot ball, followed by another dot and then a single. Harleen is on strike and a wide ball is called. After a review, another dot ball is recorded. Harleen hits two consecutive fours, despite Wyatt-Hodge not being able to stop them.
Mooney attempted a shot over extra cover, but didn't make solid contact. Mandhana fielded the ball quickly, allowing the batters to get two runs. In the next delivery, Mooney only managed to hit it to point for a single. Renuka bowled a wide down the leg side, and the batters took a quick single.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana(c), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Raghvi Bist, Richa Ghosh(w), Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Prema Rawat, Joshitha V J, Renuka Thakur Singh
Gujarat Giants Women (Playing XI): Laura Wolvaardt, Beth Mooney(w), Dayalan Hemalatha, Ashleigh Gardner(c), Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar, Sayali Satghare, Priya Mishra, Kashvee Gautam
Ashleigh Gardner: We were going to bowl as well but that's okay. We have built a good rapport with the Gujarat girls. We have got youth and experience in our team. Excited to get started. Five debutants.
Smriti Mandhana: It's good to be back in Baroda. We were here a month back. I thought it was going to be Gujarat's home ground but looks like it is our home ground. We would like to bowl first. Dew is a big factor so it is better to a few overs out before dew comes in. We had good practice sessions, preparation has been good. Few forced changes. Perry, Wareham, Danny and Kim are the four overseas players.
GG has won four times in the history of the WPL, with two of their wins coming against tonight's opponents. Both teams have won and lost one match against each other in each season. In their last contest in 2024, Beth Mooney scored 85* off 51 deliveries and Gardner took two wickets to secure a 19 run victory for GG. The question is if the Australian stars can repeat their performance in tonight's season opener.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: Smriti Mandhana(c), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Sabbhineni Meghana, Raghvi Bist, Richa Ghosh(w), Georgia Wareham, Kanika Ahuja, Kim Garth, Prema Rawat, Renuka Thakur Singh, Ekta Bisht, Heather Graham, Sophie Molineux, Shreyanka Patil, Jagravi Pawar, Asha Sobhana, Joshitha V J
Gujarat Giants Women: Laura Wolvaardt, Beth Mooney(w), Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Dayalan Hemalatha, Ashleigh Gardner(c), Simran Shaikh, Meghna Singh, Sayali Satghare, Tanuja Kanwar, Priya Mishra, Kashvee Gautam, Mannat Kashyap, Shabnam Md Shakil, Prakashika Naik, Bharti Fulmali, Phoebe Litchfield, Danielle Gibson
The defending champions are facing some concerns with several key players potentially missing from their team, including Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil, and Ellyse Perry. If replacements are unable to fill their roles, it could be problematic for the team.
Both teams are aiming to win the tournament, but it's crucial to consider their previous performance. RCB, led by Smriti Mandhana, won the trophy last year after making playoffs, while GG finished last. GG now has a new captain, Ash Gardner, and coaching staff hoping for a turnaround in fortunes, starting with the upcoming matches at home.
Welcome back to the third edition of the Women's Premier League! Tonight, we kick off the tournament with a thrilling match between the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and the home team, Gujarat Giants. The WPL caravan has arrived at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara for the first leg of this exciting league stage. Stay tuned for an evening of top-tier women's cricket action.