Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced another batting collapse in Match 12 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 against Gujarat Giants at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Having lost their previous two matches at home against Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz, RCB was desperate for a turnaround.
However, after losing the toss and being put to bat, their struggles continued as they managed only 125/7 in 20 overs, their joint-lowest total in WPL history, matching their 125-run effort against Mumbai Indians in 2023.
Gujarat Giants’ bowlers made it difficult for RCB from the outset. Opener Danni Wyatt was trapped LBW by Deandra Dottin early on. Things worsened as star all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who has been in terrific form this season, was dismissed for a four-ball duck by Ashleigh Gardner. Captain Smriti Mandhana then fell to Tanuja Kanwar, leaving RCB struggling at 25/3 inside the powerplay.
Raghvi Bisht, who looked settled at the crease with a steady 22, was unfortunately run out, adding to RCB’s woes. Kanika Ahuja showed some fight, emerging as RCB’s top scorer with 33 runs, but her efforts weren’t enough to stabilize the innings as she too was dismissed by Kanwar.
Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, who was expected to provide some firepower, couldn’t make a significant impact either, falling to Kashvee Gautam. In the final over, Dottin struck again, this time removing Kim Garth to wrap up an excellent bowling performance for Gujarat.
RCB’s underwhelming performance sparked a wave of disappointment among fans on social media. Many expressed frustration over the team’s over-reliance on Ellyse Perry, pointing out that when she fails, the entire batting lineup crumbles.
Some highlighted how Perry had single-handedly carried the team to 180 in the previous game, but without her contribution today, RCB struggled to put up a competitive total. Others criticized the overall squad strength, calling it weak apart from Perry, while some were particularly disappointed with the lack of boundaries in the death overs, as RCB managed only two in the last five overs.
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