Smriti Mandhana Praises Richa Ghosh and Elysse Perry After Historic WPL Chase Victory
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana commended her team’s resilience and brilliant batting performances by Richa Ghosh and Elysse Perry after their thrilling victory over Gujarat Giants in the opening match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, held at Kotambi Stadium on Friday.
In a high-pressure chase, with both RCB openers departing early, Perry, the previous edition’s Orange Cap winner, took charge. Coming in with the team needing to chase down what could potentially be the highest run total in WPL history, Perry played a brilliant 34-ball cameo, scoring 57 runs, which included six boundaries and two sixes. Unfortunately, she fell just short of clearing the long-on boundary.
However, the game shifted dramatically when Richa Ghosh, alongside Kanika Ahuja (30 not out), took control. Ghosh played an explosive innings, scoring 64 runs off just 24 balls, which helped RCB achieve the highest successful run chase in WPL history. “I am really happy that we were on the winning side. The way Richa and Pez (Perry) batted was amazing to watch,” said Mandhana in the post-match presentation.
Reflecting on her team’s performance, Smriti further highlighted the brilliance of the middle-order batting. “Brilliant to watch, they have been doing that in the nets. Really happy that things clicked. After the first innings, we knew it would be tough to bowl, so we always thought we were in the game,” she added.
RCB entered the 2025 season with a significantly weakened bowling attack, as three key bowlers from their 2024 title-winning campaign—Shreyanka Patel, Sophie Molineux, and Asha Shobana—were ruled out due to injuries. The trio collectively claimed 37 wickets last season, and their absence left a noticeable gap. Acknowledging the challenge, Smriti expressed confidence in her team’s depth and potential replacements. “We lost the top three wicket-takers of last year, but luckily we had good options coming in. Whoever has come in are brilliant replacements, which is good to have. Lots to work on as a bowling and fielding unit, so we will have good discussions about it,” she concluded.
RCB’s victory in this high-stakes match, led by strong individual performances, sets an exciting tone for the rest of the WPL 2025 campaign.
