GG vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: 3 players you could pick as captain or vice-captain for today’s WPL match – February 14, 2025
The Gujarat Giants (GG) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will square off in the first match of the third edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) on Friday, February 14, at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
Led by a new captain Ashleigh Gardner, the Gujarat Giants will look to make it to the playoffs this season after finishing at the bottom of the points table in both editions of the WPL thus far.
Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana and company will aim to start their title defense on a winning note. They will be wary of a power-packed Gujarat batting lineup, who incidentally beat RCB by 19 runs in their previous meeting last season.
Without further ado, let's look at the top three Dream11 captaincy choices for this match.
#3 Ashleigh Gardner (ALL) (GG)
Australian all-rounder and the new captain of the Gujarat Giants, Ashleigh Gardner, will undoubtedly be a popular Dream11 captaincy option come Friday. She hasn't had the best of times with the bat in the WPL, averaging 21.60, but she has fared better as a bowler, picking up 17 wickets in 16 outings.
As the team's new captain, Gardner could bat herself higher than No. 6, which is where she has usually batted for the Giants, increasing her point-scoring potential as a batter. She's one of the best bowlers in women's cricket right now and can pick up wickets and bowl tight spells on any surface.
She's one of the most reliable Dream11 captaincy options for WPL 2025.
#2 Smriti Mandhana (BAT) (RCB)
RCB captain and opening batter Smriti Mandhana is in sensational form coming into this edition of the WPL. The fourth-highest run-scorer in RCB's title-winning campaign last season, Smriti is No.3 on the ICC T20I Batter Rankings and No. 2 in ODIs.
The 28-year-old has scored six half-centuries and two centuries in her last 10 innings, including two half-centuries at this venue in December against the West Indies. Opening the batting, she can make the most of the field restrictions, potentially earning plenty of points for boundaries and sixes hit.
Gujarat are very light on experienced seam bowlers, and they could well be ineffective bowling with the new ball. That makes Smriti Mandhana a top Dream11 captaincy choice.
#1 Beth Mooney (WK) (GG)
Australian wicketkeeper-batter and the No.1 T20I Batter in the ICC Rankings, Beth Mooney will want to inspire the Gujarat Giants to a successful WPL 2025 campaign.
Mooney did have solid numbers with the bat in WPL 2024, scoring 285 runs in nine matches, averaging 47.50 at a decent strike rate of 141.08. She is a very hard player to dismiss and puts a very high price on her wicket, and once set, she almost always guarantees big scores.
Mooney comes into this tournament on the back of terrific form and was the top run-scorer in the T20I leg of the Ashes last month. Given her class, consistency, and penchant for scoring boundaries, Beth Mooney is a stellar Dream11 captaincy pick.