RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana showered Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry with compliments for their match-winning efforts in the nail-biting first match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 against Gujarat Giants. Playing at Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium, RCB staged the biggest run chase in WPL history, and it was the ideal start to their title defence.
The game began on a wobbly note for RCB when both the openers got out in the first over itself, leaving them in trouble. Faced with an intimidating target, Ellyse Perry, winner of the previous season’s Orange Cap, took charge in crisis.
The experienced Australian all-rounder crafted a match-winning 34-ball 57 with six fours and two sixes. Her performance brought much-needed stability before getting out trying to clear the long-on boundary.
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But the actual turning point arrived when Richa Ghosh came in along with Kanika Ahuja. The Bengal wicket-keeper batter played a fearless innings, blasting 64 runs from just 24 deliveries in a display of power-hitting that was nothing short of sensational. Her attacking game along with Ahuja’s calm 30* off 19 balls saw RCB seal a record chase in a mere 18.3 overs.
Smiling about the victory, Smriti Mandhana complimented her teammates. “I am really pleased that we were on the winning side. The manner in which Richa and Pez (Perry) batted was just fantastic to watch,” she expressed after the game. She also talked about how hard the middle-order batsmen had been working in the nets, and it was lovely to see things falling into place on the field.
Even with the win, RCB went into the season with a much-diminished bowling attack. Purple Cap winners of last season Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Molineux, and Asha Sobhana were out injured. The three players had taken 37 wickets for RCB in their championship-winning season, and their absence was a cause for concern.
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Smriti Mandhana recognized the task at hand, saying although RCB had discovered good replacement players, they still had lots to do. “We’ve lost the number one, number two and number three wicket-takers last season, but we’re blessed to have robust replacements. Yet, as a bowling and fielding unit, we must up our game and we’ll discuss that very significantly,” she asserted.
