Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner smashed an unbeaten 79 runs off 37 deliveries in the opening game of the Women’s Premier League 2025. The Australia international looked ruthless right from the beginning and capitalised on a wicket that was tailor-made for the batters to succeed. Opener Beth Mooney set the platform, with her terrific knock of 56 runs off 42 deliveries and later, Gardner wreaked havoc and smashed the RCB bowlers all across the park.
During her scintillating knock, the 27-year-old smacked eight sixes in the innings, which is the joint-most by a cricketer in WPL history. New Zealand international Sophie Devine hit the same number of sixes against Gujarat in the 2023 edition of the competition. Shafali Verma, with five sixes to her name in an innings, stands third.
Most sixes in an innings in WPL:
| Player | Score | Opponent | Sixes |
| Ash Gardner | 79 | RCB | 8 |
| Sophie Devine | 99 | GG | 8 |
| Shafali Verma | 76 | GG | 5 |
| Elysse Perry | 67 | DC | 5 |
| Alice Capsey | 38 | MI | 5 |
| Shafali Verma | 71 | GG | 5 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 95 | GG | 5 |
Notably, the Australia international arrived at the crease when Gujarat were reduced to 41/2. She initially took some time to settle down and after Mooney departed, Gardner launched the attack and registered the highest individual score for Gujarat in the tournament.
Courtesy of her ferocious knock, Gujarat posted 201/5 in the first innings. It is their joint-highest total in the tournament. They scored 201/7 against RCB in the 2023 edition of the tournament. In that match, Sophie Dunkley and Harleen Deol scored a half-century each.
The defending champions meanwhile will be disappointed with their effort in the first innings. Their fielding was not up to the mark and dropped a couple of simple chances and misfielded plenty. Overall, Gujarat arrived at the correct mindset as they didn’t want to waste any opportunity. They played an aggressive brand of cricket and that helped them post a mammoth total on the board.
Three of the RCB bowlers leaked over 10 runs per over and that is one area that the team needs to address immediately. Ellyse Perry didn’t bowl in the match, owing to her injury and that has hurt the Smriti Mandhana-led side.