Captain ashleigh garnder

Captain Ashleigh Garnder: The Gujarat Giants started the 2025 Women’s Premier League campaign on the front foot, reaching a massive total of 201/5, their joint-highest score in the tournament, against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Kotambi Stadium here on Friday. The Giants were struggling for runs before skipper Ashleigh Gardner decided to take matters into her own hands by scoring an unbeaten 79, at a strike rate of 213.51, to take her team past the 200-run mark.

Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt, the duo who stitched a 140-run partnership against RCB in 2024, began the proceedings for the hosts with Renuka Singh being handed the responsibility with the new ball. Mooney did not take too long to get things underway smashing Renuka for a four through the cap towards backward point on just the second ball of the match.

Wolvaardt also got the ball rolling with a similar shot in the second over against Kim Garth to score her first, and only, boundary of the match. However, the fabled Proteas batter departed soon after.