Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner clobbered a record-equaling eight sixes in a spectacular innings to light up the opening night of the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL). (Full Coverage | Live Blog | More Cricket News)
Gardner scored an unbeaten 79 off just 37 deliveries to propel her side to a massive 201/5 in 20 overs in the first match of the tournament against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru 🥂in Vadodara. The 27-year-old also dismissed the opening pair of RCB with the ball. However, her all-round effort ended up on the losing cause as Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down 202,a WPL record, to win the game.
ཧBefore Gardner's arrival, the Giants were moving slowly and could score just 39 runs in the powerplay despite losing only one wicket. The Australian came to the crease just the after the powerplay and spent some time at the non-striker's end early in her innings.
𓂃Gardner then launched the attack on the seventh ball she faced as he lofted Kanika Ahuja over long-on for her first off eight sixes. In the 14th over from Prema Rawat, Gardner slammed a hat-trick of sixes and suddenly despite the slow start, the Giants were finding themselves in a decent position.
🎐Things were only going to get better as the Giants slammed 111 runs off the last 44 balls with Gardner doing the majority of damage.
She finished with eight sixes in her onslaught, equaling the record for most sixes in a WPL innings. New Zealand's Sophie Devine 𝓰had hit the same number of sixes in the opening season of WPL playing for RCB against the Giants.
๊Despite an already blockbuster night, Gardner was still not done. She came to bowl in the second over of the chase and dismissed both RCB openers.
She first sent opposition captain Smriti Mandhana 𒀰back to the pavillion on the second ball she bowled and then also cleaned up Danielle Wyatt-Hodge before completing the over.
✃The effort was not enough and RCB made light work of the chase and won the game by six wickets with nine balls still remaining in the game.
