WPL 2025: Watch - Renuka Singh castles Laura Wolvaardt to claim first wicket of season

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women pacer Renuka Singh castled the Gujarat Giants Women batter Laura Wolvaardt in the opening match of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 to bag the first wicket of the season.

The Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara is hosting the first match of WPL 2025 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women and Gujarat Giants Women on Friday, February 14.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Axar Patel faces tough competition from 2 superstars as captaincy war erupts at Delhi Capitals

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women opt to bowl first

The Smriti Mandhana-led side won the toss and opted to bowl first in the match. They handed the debut cap to VJ Joshitha, who became the third youngest player in the history of the league.

Youngest players to debut in the WPL

16y 263d - Shabnam Shakil (GG) vs RCB, 2024

16y 312d - Parshavi Chopra (UPW) vs MI, 2023

18y 205d - VJ Joshitha (RCB) vs GG, today

18y 206d - Alice Capsey (DC) vs RCB, 2023

19y 7d - Shweta Sehrawat (UPW) vs GG, 2023

19y 36d - Shafali Verma (DC) vs RCB, 2023

Meanwhile, the chants of 'RCB, RCB' echoed across the venue, which prompted the RCB-W skipper to say that they were playing at their home ground.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Giants Women skipper Ashleigh Gardner said that they were also looking to bowl first. She stated:

'We were going to bowl as well but that's okay. We have built a good rapport with the Gujarat girls. We have got youth and experience in our team. Excited to get started. Five debutants."

Laura Wolvaardt removed by Renuka Singh

Gujarat Giants Women were off to a decent start in the match as the star opening duo of Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt batted quite well.

Mooney looked in control from the beginning, and she contributed 23 runs off 17 balls in the 35-run partnership with Wolvaardt, who chipped in with just 6 runs off 10 balls before being dismissed.

On the third ball of the 5th over, Renuka Singh bowled a cracking delivery to send the superstar batter Wolvaardt back to the pavilion.

The ploy of the keeper standing up to the stumps worked as Wolvaardt looked to slog across the line to a nip-backer from Renuka, got beaten on the inside edge, and the ball crashed into the middle of the middle stump.

Notably, the dismissal of Laura Wolvaardt was a huge one for the RCB, as in the previous two matches; she had scored scored 68 (42) and 76 (45) against the WPL 2024 champions.

Watch: Laura Wolvaardt dismissed by Renuka Singh

CASTLED 🎯

Renuka Singh Thakur with the first wicket of #TATAWPL season 3 🔥

Laura Wolvaardt departs.

Live - https://t.co/jjI6oXJcBI #TATAWPL #GGvRCB pic.twitter.com/hVljsewUru

— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 14, 2025

RCB-W vs GG-W Playing XIs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana(c), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Raghvi Bist, Richa Ghosh(w), Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Prema Rawat, Joshitha VJ, Renuka Thakur Singh

Gujarat Giants Women (Playing XI): Laura Wolvaardt, Beth Mooney(w), Dayalan Hemalatha, Ashleigh Gardner(c), Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar, Sayali Satghare, Priya Mishra, Kashvee Gautam