Follow UsAshleigh Gardner lit up the season opener of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 by hitting the second-fastest half-century for Gujarat Giants. Her 25-ball fifty on February 14 (Friday) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is only second to Sophia Dunkley’s 18 balls half-century against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2023 season.
Gardner came to bat at number four and carried Gujarat’s innings on her shoulders. After Beth Mooney smashed leg spinner Georgia Wareham for three fours in a row in the 10th over, Gardner began her onslaught with a six over long-on against Kanika Ahuja in the next over itself.
However, in the 14th over against debutant Prema Rawat, Gardner unleashed her beast mode, hitting a hat-trick of sixes against the Uttarakhand leg-spinner.
The first six went over long-off, the second one was an absolute cracker over midwicket, and then the third one came over the square leg, as Rawat dropped it short after pitching it up on the earlier two deliveries.
Gardner then carried the momentum forward and targeted the rookie pacer Joshitha VJ, smashing her for consecutive sixes in the 18th. Her 79* off just 37 deliveries allowed the Giants to post 201 on the board, which is their joint-highest total in WPL history, equalling the total they had scored against the same opposition in 2023.
Gardner hit three fours and eight sixes in her innings, which is a record for the joint most sixes hit in a WPL innings, equalling Sophie Devine's record from 2023.
The Giants scored 95 runs between overs 7-15 and 67 runs in the last five overs, allowing them to post a huge total.