WPL-2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Gujarat Giants by 8 wickets to keep their slim chances of playoffs
Sophie Devine’s breathtaking 36-ball 99 helped Royal Challengers Bangalore hammer Gujarat Giants by 8 wickets to keep their slim chances of playoffs qualification alive. In what was their maiden victory at the Brabourne in five attempts, on Saturday (March 18),
Devine combined with her captain and opening partner Smriti Mandhana (37 off 31) to put on a spectacular 125-run stand in under 10 overs, setting just the perfect launchpad for RCB to overhaul Giants’ 188/4 inside 16 overs and jump to fourth spot.
Some leg-byes, some wides, some ordinary fielding and a crisp punch from Mandhana meant RCB were up and running with a 13-run over in the massive chase, but it was their New Zealand import who avenged the expensive final over of Megan Schutt’s with a 24-run one off Ash Gardner to have the off-spinner taken off the attack in just six deliveries in the powerplay.
Devine punished the Australian allrounder, slog-sweeping her twice over the fence on the legside sandwiching two beautiful cover-drives, before sending the final ball past Gardner straight down into the ropes rubbing salt on her wounds.
Giants captain Sneh Rana managed to throw in a tight over but Mandhana went after Tanuja Kanwar with a six and a four, raising the team’s half-century in the fourth over itself. In all, the opening pair struck 10 boundaries and three sixes between them to finish the powerplay with 77/0 on the board.
Brief scores: Gujarat Giants 188/4 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 68, Ash Gardner 41; Shreyanka Patil 2-17) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 189/2 in 15.3 overs (Sophie Devine 90, Smriit Mandhana 37; Sneh Rana 1-25) by 8 wickets.
Yet another Sophie start 🔥#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #SheIsBold #WPL2023 #RCBvGG
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 18, 2023
