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Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants
M chinnaswamy stadium, bengaluru, 7.30pm ist
What to expect: Can Giants find form?
Two teams coming off back-to-back losses, but in no way comparable. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have actually been really good in WPL 2025. Yet, they find themselves under pressure as they get ready to face Gujarat Giants at home.
After two commanding wins, they went down to Mumbai Indians off the second-last ball of the game, and then lost to UP Warriorz in a Super Over, despite dominating most of the match. Momentum in cricket is a double-edged sword. Wins under the belt can act as a confidence booster, but losses can be deflating. And having suffered two heartbreaking losses, RCB will want to get back to winning ways, especially with the tournament entering its business end.
RCB have a good record
against Giants. They have won three out of five matches, which includes a solid win in this year’s season opener. In addition, they have never lost to them in Bengaluru. They also have the current purple cap and orange cap holders, and will want to move up the points table before the Bengaluru leg ends.
Giants, on the other hand, have a number of problems to sort. They ended WPL 2023 and 2024 bottom of the pile, and are down there again. They are too dependent on Ashleigh Gardner and Deandra Dottin, who have also failed to get going in the last two matches.
Their problem starts right from the top in the batting. Giants have the worst run rate (5.79), least runs, least boundaries (16 fours and four sixes) and have lost the most wickets (11) in the powerplay this season. With Beth Mooney not in form, and Harleen Deol not a natural striker, do they need one of Gardner or Dottin to go up the order and go on the assertive?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Llww (last four matches, most recent first)
Gujarat Giants: A hole
It is unlikely that RCB will make any changes to their playing XI from the previous match against Warriorz.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Likely): 1 Smriti Mandhana (Capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bist, 5 Richa Ghosh (WK), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 GEORGIA WAREHAM, 7 Sneh Rana, 8 Snehe Rana, 9 Kim GARTH, 10 Ekta Bisht, 11 Renuka Singh
Giants made three changes to their playing XI in the previous game, but didn’t have Phoebe Litchfield open the innings. There is a chance she moves to the top with Harleen Deol moving to the No. 3 position. Simran Shaikh has failed to make an impact so far in the tournament, and it is possible Giants might draft in Dayalan Hemalatha to shore up the batting.
Gujarat Giants . Mishra, 11 Meghna Singh
Players to watch: Ellyse Perry and Kashvee Gautam
Ellyse Perry seems to have gone up a gear with the bat in WPL 2025. The leading run-scorer this season with 235 runs in four innings at 117.50, Perry, in the last game, also went past Meg Lanning to become WPL’s overall highest run-scorer. Coming into the tournament with a hip injury, Perry did not bowl in RCB’s first three games, but sent down two overs against Warriorz, picking a wicket. If she can contribute with four overs, it could help in balancing the RCB unit even better.
In an otherwise demoralising tournament so far, Kashvee Gautam has been a bright star for Giants. She was picked up for a whopping INR 2 crore ahead of the WPL auction for 2024, but was ruled out of the season due to an injury. Giants still retained her, and she is repaying the faith. She started poorly against RCB going for 22 off her two overs, but in the next three games, the 21-year-old has picked five wickets at a miserly economy. Out of all the bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 30 balls this WPL,
Gautam’s economy of 6.00 is the fourth-best. Apart from the 15-ball 20 against Mumbai, Gautam hasn’t done much with the bat, and that’s one area she might want to improve.
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