Mithali Raj Performance in WPL 2025
Mithali Raj, former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, was full of praise for the incredible batting performances of Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team. They played a crucial role in their team’s record-breaking victory against the Gujarat Giants in the opening match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025.
Smriti Mandhana, the captain of RCB, won the coin toss and chose to let Gujarat bat first. Gujarat then scored an impressive 201 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their 20 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Beth Mooney (who scored 56 runs) and their captain Ashleigh Gardner, who remained not out with a score of 79.
RCB’s response to the challenging target was powerful. Ellyse Perry played a strong innings, scoring 57 runs off 34 balls with two sixes and six fours. Then, Richa Ghosh took the game by storm, smashing a brilliant 64 runs off just 27 balls, including four huge sixes and seven fours. Kanika Ahuja also contributed with a quickfire 30 not out from 13 balls, hitting four fours. Together, they steered RCB to victory with nine balls to spare. This successful chase was the highest ever in the history of the Women’s Premier League, marking a dominant start to RCB’s title defense with a six-wicket win.
Mithali Raj, speaking on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar, shared her thoughts on the exciting opening match of the season. She described it as a record-breaking start, praising the strong foundation laid by Ashleigh Gardner and Deandra Dottin in the first innings, which resulted in a formidable total of 201 runs. Raj then highlighted the exceptional performances of Richa Ghosh, Kanika Ahuja, and Ellyse Perry during the run chase. She emphasized that the match had it all: lots of runs, important partnerships, and a high level of intensity.
Mithali Raj spoke about the crucial partnership between Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja, noting that when Richa came to the crease, RCB had just lost Ellyse Perry, and both she and Kanika were relatively new batters. They needed to rebuild the innings with a required run rate of over 12 runs per over. Mithali pointed out that Kanika, while not hitting huge sixes, played a vital supporting role, maintaining a strike rate above 200 with clever placement of the ball, which allowed Richa to play her more aggressive, natural game. Raj highlighted Richa’s history of impactful innings for India and how she played a brilliant game for RCB, leading them to victory. She concluded by praising both Kanika and Richa for their outstanding performances.
Mithali Raj analyzed Ashleigh Gardner’s bowling strategy, suggesting that Gardner’s attempt to bowl faster actually worked in Richa Ghosh’s favor, making it easier for Richa to score runs and ultimately contributing to Gujarat’s loss. Mithali also observed that Gardner seemed to hold back two overs specifically for Richa Ghosh and Georgia Wareham. However, Gardner appeared to struggle with her grip, and perhaps, as is often seen with her bowling, the more she was hit, the faster she bowled. This increased pace, according to Mithali, allowed Richa Ghosh to effectively maneuver the ball around the field, particularly with her delicate shots towards third man for boundaries. Mithali noted that when the ball was pitched up, Richa timed it beautifully rather than trying to hit big shots, which allowed her to take full advantage of the scoring opportunities.
