Ashleigh Gardner led Gujarat Giants to a commanding 6-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 12 of the TATA Women's Premier League 2025 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Their disciplined bowling attack restricted RCB to 125/7. Then, Gardner sealed the win with a blazing 58 off 31 balls.

Gujarat Giants Strike Back

After losing to RCB earlier, Gujarat Giants responded with a dominant performance on RCB’s home turf. The bowlers took wickets at regular intervals. Meanwhile, Gardner’s captain’s knock ensured a smooth chase. As a result, this win strengthened Gujarat’s campaign, while RCB suffered their third straight home defeat.

Early Setbacks in Gujarat’s Chase

Chasing 127, Gujarat Giants lost early wickets. Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalatha fell inside the powerplay. Notably, Purple Cap holder Renuka Singh Thakur dismissed both batters. Additionally, Richa Ghosh’s sharp glovework sent Hemalatha back, firing up the crowd.

Gardner Takes Control

Despite the early setbacks, Ashleigh Gardner wasted no time. She launched a counterattack, just like her 79-run knock against RCB earlier in the season. In the ninth over, she smashed 19 runs off Prema Rawat, shifting the momentum. Then, she brought up her third fifty of the season with back-to-back sixes off Georgia Wareham. Furthermore, Gardner received great support from Phoebe Litchfield. Litchfield rotated the strike well and played clever reverse sweeps. As a result, Gujarat crossed the 100-run mark comfortably. Soon after, Gardner fell after a brilliant 58 off 31 balls, leaving Gujarat on the brink of victory. However, Litchfield remained unbeaten on 30 off 21, ensuring a smooth finish.

RCB Struggles to Build Momentum

Earlier, Gujarat Giants won the toss and opted to field. Right from the start, Deandra Dottin (2/31) made an early breakthrough, trapping Danni Wyatt-Hodge LBW in the first over. Shortly after, Gardner struck in her first over, dismissing the in-form Ellyse Perry. RCB’s troubles deepened when Tanuja Kanwer (2/16) removed Smriti Mandhana in the sixth over. Harleen Deol took a sharp catch to send the RCB skipper back. Consequently, at 26/3 by the powerplay’s end, RCB faced an uphill task. Nevertheless, Kanika Ahuja (33 off 28) and Raghvi Bist (22 off 19) tried to rebuild. They rotated strike and found occasional boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving.

Gujarat’s Fielding Makes the Difference

Just when Ahuja and Bist looked settled, Gujarat struck in the 12th over. Raghvi smashed a six off Meghna Singh but was dropped the next ball. However, Bharti Fulmali’s direct hit soon ran her out, swinging the momentum back to Gujarat. Then, Kanwer dismissed Ahuja with a smart return catch, adding to RCB’s struggles.

RCB Fails to Finish Strong

In the final overs, Richa Ghosh and Georgia Wareham (20* off 19) tried to stabilize the innings. Richa hit a huge six off Dottin, but Gujarat’s bowlers kept striking at key moments. Eventually, Kashvee Gautam cleaned up Richa with a perfect yorker, ending RCB’s hopes of a late flourish. Consequently, their lower order failed to accelerate, finishing at 125/7. In the end, Gujarat Giants delivered a clinical bowling performance. They kept the pressure on from start to finish. Their all-round display ensured a convincing win, reviving their campaign in style.