Deandra Dottin’s rapid 13-ball 25 wasn’t enough to prevent the Gujarat Giants from going down by six wickets to defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match of the 2025 Women’s Premier League season at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Friday.
The West Indian all-rounder hit three fours and a six to help the Giants post a menacing 201-5 from their 20 overs after RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana chose to field after winning the toss.
The Australian pair of captain Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney led the way for the Giants with the bat with 79* and 56, respectively.
Gardner’s knock came off just 37 balls and included three fours and eight sixes while Mooney faced 42 balls and hit eight fours.
Pacer Renuka Singh took 2-25 from her four overs to lead the way with the ball for the defending champions.
RCB then produced an excellent comeback to secure the win, reaching 202-4 in just 18.3 overs in the end.
They lost the wickets of Mandhana (9) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (4) within the first two overs with the score on just 14 before Ellyse Perry and Raghvi Bist put on a crucial 86 for the third wicket.
That stand ended when Bist fell for 25 off the last ball of the 11th over.
Perry then fell soon after for a 34-ball 57 which brought together Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja.
The pair then smashed the Giants bowling all around the Kotambi Stadium on their way to a match-winning 93-run partnership off just 37 balls between them.
Ghosh finished 64* off 27 balls including seven fours and four sixes while Ahuja made 30* off 13 balls, hitting four fours in the process.
Gardner took 2-33 from three overs for the Giants.