This is the third consecutive loss for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who suffered yet another underwhelming loss in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025.
Under Smriti Mandhana’s direction, the squad battled to find their rhythm against the Gujarat Giants, disappointing their home audience.
The game underlined RCB’s continuous difficulties, especially in their batting section, since they lacked a competitive total. Fans who followed the match closely, just like those keeping up with the latest updates on Bet Pro Exchange login, witnessed another tough outing for the team.
RCB: A Night to Forget
The game appeared to slip out of RCB’s grasp immediately. Gujarat Giants’ captain Ashleigh Gardner won the toss and elected to bowl first, a move that proved to be spot-on. Gujarat’s bowlers seized full advantage of the pitch conditions that suited the fast bowlers.
Deandra Dottin and Kashvee Gautam performed a masterclass in swing bowling, leaving RCB’s top-order hitters confused.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who had scored a fifty in the previous match, fell prey to an inswinging yorker that trapped her leg before wicket.
Ellyse Perry, the tournament’s top performance thus far, was ejected for a duck after mistiming a pull shot. Though she had said she wanted to dismiss Smriti Mandhana, the 21-year-old Kashvee Gautam kept the RCB skipper under tremendous pressure instead of getting her sought wicket.
Mandhana struggled to score Gautam’s accurate bowling in tandem with the late ball movement. Mandhana collapsed finally while trying a slump-sweep, leaving RCB stunned at 25/3 in the PowerPlay.
Middle-Order Fightback Falls Limited
Despite the early defeats, RCB’s middle order pushed to launch a comeback. Still, the harm done in the PowerPlay was too great to recover. The squad scored 125 runs, but it would never be enough on a pitch that eased out as the game continued.
Conversely, Gujarat Giants comfortably pursued the target, revealing RCB’s weaknesses. The defeat was a harsh reminder of the team’s struggles in the tournament.
An Early Collapse Pattern
RCB’s batting problems are not new. Early collapses in past games had cost the squad four wickets in the PowerPlay.
Although Ellyse Perry’s heroics had occasionally saved them, this time, her early dismissal left the team without a rescuer.
Malolan Rangarajan, the team’s assistant coach, described the loss as “one bad day at the office.” Although he admitted RCB was outmatched in bowling and batting, he still felt the team’s chances in the tournament were bright.
The Toss Factor and Pitch Conditions
Toss and pitch conditions have been the main discussion points in WPL 2025. Due to the dew factor, chasing teams had a significant edge in Vadodara, where the event began. But the pitches in Bengaluru have been more balanced, helping bowlers and batters.
Teams batting first have nevertheless struggled to produce competitive totals. In particular, RCB has struggled to evaluate the conditions and determine a par score. Their careful approach in the PowerPlay has sometimes backfired, leaving deathovers and too much to do in the middle.
Perry’s Heroics and Over-Reliance
With three fifties in four games, Ellyse Perry has been the RCB standout. Her services have kept RCB in the hunt, but her early dismissal against Gujarat Giants revealed the team’s over-reliance on her.
While the team management denies this, the numbers reveal a different tale. Perry has been the leading run-scorer in the competition, and her absence at the bat has often left RCB struggling. If the squad is to turn its fortunes around, other hitters must step forward and share the load.
Future Plans for RCB
RCB has lost three consecutive games, which puts it in a dangerous situation. Still, the team’s good net run record and the efforts of other players like Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja give cause for hope.
The next match RCB has against Delhi Capitals might be a make-or-break event for them. A win would keep their playoff hopes alive, while another defeat could spell the end of their campaign.
To remain relevant in the tournament, the squad must rapidly reorganize and deal with its hitting problems.
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Final Thoughts
The path RCB is on in WPL 2025 has thus been a rollercoaster. While they have shown glimpses of their talent, their failure to execute consistently has cost them dearly. The team must grow from its errors and return more robustly for the next games.
As Smriti Mandhana correctly pointed out, losses in close games are preferable to one-sided losses. Meanwhile, RCB must ensure that they are not too far from their finest cricket. The club has to dig down and deliver when it counts most since the playoffs are within grasp.