In the first season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, UP Warriorz, and Royal Challengers Bangalore will compete for the championship. Although the names of the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have all gained popularity in the IPL, only MI has a history of winning championships. On March 4, they will play their season opener at the DY Patil Stadium against the Gujarat Giants. On March 5, they will take on DC at the Brabourne Stadium.
Today’s match was very crucial considering the qualification scenarios of both teams. Gujarat Giants took on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a must-win encounter.
Match Summary
Gujarat won the toss and decided to bat first with Sneh Rana leading the Gujarat Giants. With the quickest half-century of the competition, Sophia Dunkley raced to 50 off just 18 deliveries. She established the foundation for the final score, and Harleen Deol also hit a fifty as GGT totaled 201/7 in 20 overs. In response, RCB got off to a strong start with opener Sophie Devine’s fifty, but their progress was frequently hampered as GGT kept collecting wickets at crucial junctures to keep edging closer to the victory. The Smriti Mandhana-led team eventually scored 190/6, with GGT prevailing by 11 runs.
The victory has moved the Gujarat Giants up the WPL standings, moving them above RCB, which is currently the only side in the five-team league without a single victory. GGT now has one win and two losses from three attempts, giving them three points. This has also helped them improve their net run rate, albeit it is still negative; specifically, it is -2.327.
With this loss, the Royal Challengers Bangalore are now in a spot of bother as they now find it difficult to qualify for the playoffs. Gujarat Giants rise up to the number four position in the points table. RCB despite having a strong squad are facing difficulty in winning a single match for the franchise. Meanwhile, Mumbai is at the top position followed by the Delhi Capitals at second.
| Teams | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Points | NRR |
| MIW | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +5.185 |
| DCW | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +2.550 |
| UPW | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.864 |
| GG | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2.327 |
| RCBW | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.263 |
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