Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has chased down a target of 202 runs during the WPL 2025 opener match against Gujarat played on February 14.
They surpassed the highest run chase held by Mumbai Indians when they chased down the target of 191 against Gujarat Giants on March 09, 2023.
Opting to Bowl first, RCB women were haunted by Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner’s knocks which laid a solid platform for a mammoth 201 total in their innings.
With a solid start, Mooney batted aggressively and went on to score 56 runs before being dismissed by Prema Rawat. Mooney reached the fifty in just 37 balls.
After the dismissal of South African cricketer Laura Wolvaardt and Hemalatha for 6 and 4, Mooney joined Gardner for a 44-run partnership for the third wicket.
𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 👌👌
Richa Ghosh does it in style for #RCB 😍
This is also the highest successful run-chase in #TATAWPL history🔥
Scorecard👉 https://t.co/jjI6oXJcBI #GGvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/9Ea3gJ6JP1
— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 14, 2025
However she was dismissed on the 12th over of the innings while Gujarat lost the third wicket for 85 runs. Ashleigh who came to bat after the dismissal of Dayalan Hemalatha joined Beth Mooney to trouble RCB bowlers.
Gardner went on to scored 79* runs to set up a huge score in their innings. Renuka Singh picked 2/25 runs in her four over quota while Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham and Prema Rawat picked a wicket each but was not enough to restict Gujarat Giants.
With a target of 202 runs, RCB openers Smriti Mandhana and Wyatt Hodge tried for a jump start but were dismissed cheaply in the Gardner’s over.
However, fifty from Ellyse Perry and unbeaten 64* runs from Richa Ghosh build up the score steadily for the defending champions. With the contributions from Raghvi Bist and Kanika Ahuja RCB Women secured a six wicket victory with nine balls to spare.
