Ashleigh Gardner and Smriti Mandhana (Source: @wplt20/X.com)
All set for the third edition of the Women's Premier League 2025 (WPL) to begin as Gujarat Giants Women (GG-W) will go up against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB-W) in the opening encounter, to be played at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. This high-octane match will be played on Friday, February 14, 2025, from 7:30 PM IST.
Gujarat Giants Women
It will be interesting to see if a change in captaincy brings a change in fortune for Gujarat Giants, who have recently announced Ashleigh Gardner as their new skipper, replacing her countrymate Beth Mooney. The Giants finished at the bottom of the table in the previous two editions, as they now look to rewrite their past. The Gujarat-based side have bolstered their attack by adding the West Indian powerhouse Deandra Dottin into their lineup to bring in some fortune.
The all-rounder could play a massive role in this WPL 2025, as she has been a prolific run-getter alongside being a proper seam bowler. Additionally, they have experienced Proteas Laura Wolvaardt, Harleen Deol, Beth Mooney, Shabnam Shakil and Simran Shaikh in their lineup. Moreover, given their squad, only one of Laura Wolvaardt and Phoebe Litchfield can make it to the final XI, which is probably a good headache to have.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women
On the opposite corner are the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, struggling with injuries ahead of this season. Their prime all-rounder, Ellyse Perry, is a doubtful starter, considering her hip injury during the recently concluded Women's Ashes, while Shreyanka Patil also looks uncertain for this encounter. Additionally, they received the major setback of Asha Shobana getting ruled out of the tournament, making matters worse for them.
Apart from all this, they still have a solid lineup, with skipper Smriti Mandhana, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Richa Ghosh, Georgia Wareham, and Indian pacer Renuka Singh a major part of their lineup. Not to forget, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, and Kate Cross have already withdrawn from the tournament due to their respective injuries. RCB won four out of their eight games last season and ended up third on the table. They then went on to win both the eliminator and final to lift their maiden WPL title, and now, they will look to replicate their success.
GG-W vs RCB-W: Head-To-Head In WPL
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 4 |
| Gujarat Giants Women Won | 2 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women Won | 2 |
| No Result | 0 |
How Will The Kotambi Stadium Pitch Behave?
The pitch at the newly built Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara is expected to be a genuine batting surface where high scores can be attained. The surface is expected to offer a bit of movement early on in the innings; however, as the match progresses, it might suit the batters more, making it easier to chase big scores.
The spinners might come into play as the match progresses, but won't be getting significant turn. In the recently concluded ODI series between India women and West Indies women, scores of 300 plus were scored on two consecutive occasions by the home side, indicating that this pitch is favourable for batters. Therefore, considering all this, we can conclude that the team winning the toss will likely bowl first at this venue.
Players to Watch Out For in GG-W vs RCB-W Match 1
Key Players For Gujarat Giants Women
Beth Mooney
Beth Mooney was in outstanding form in the recently concluded Women's Ashes, where she struck 213 runs in three games at an unbelievable average of 106.50. Her strike rate was 146.89, as her scores read 75, 44, and 94*, respectively, in three matches.
Laura Wolvaardt
Laura Wolvaardt is a gun batter in all three formats, especially in T20Is, where she has played 80 games and struck 2,035 runs at an average of 35.70 while striking at 115.23. Her ability to go after the bowlers from ball one makes her a valuable asset.
Ashleigh Gardner
Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner played her part in the England series, where she smacked 146 runs to go along with four wickets in three games for her side. While overall in T20 internationals, she has 1,411 runs at a decent strike rate of 127.69, where her average is 24.75 in 95 matches.
Key Players For Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women
Ellyse Perry
Australian superstar Ellyse Perry is one of the finest all-rounders in the whole of cricket at this stage. She was instrumental in RCB's last year's title-winning campaign, where she scored 347 runs in nine games at an average of 69.40. She struck runs at 123.41 while with the ball, the right-armer grabbed seven wickets at an economy of 6.81.
Smriti Mandhana
RCB's skipper, Smriti Mandhana, has been one of the top performers for her side. In the previous edition, she smacked 300 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 133.92, averaging 30. Mandhana is fresh off a century against Irish women and will be looking to replicate her form in this WPL 2025.
Richa Ghosh
Wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh has done exceedingly well with the bat in whatever time she spends at the crease. The right-hander is a proper finisher who could come in and help her side to victory in the final overs. The 21-year-old, in the previous edition, smashed 257 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 141.98, averaging 42.83.
Today's Match Prediction: GG-W vs RCB-W Match 1
Predicted Top Performers
Gujarat Giants Women – Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Deandra Dottin
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women – Ellyse Perry, Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh
GG-W vs RCB-W Match 1: Predicted Score
Predicted first innings score: 180-190
Predicted second innings score: 175-185
Predicted Result: The team bowling first will likely have an edge in this encounter.
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