Royal Challengers Bangalore ended the first leg of this WPL 2024 on a winning note to get their campaign back on track after losing a couple of matches on the trot. The Smriti Mandhana-led unit had defeated UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants in the first two matches that they played but then suffered defeats against Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians respectively.
A brilliant batting performance handed them their third win in the competition as they defeated UP by 23 runs after posting 198/3 in 20 overs and then restricting the opposition to 175/8. The WPL 2024 has now shifted to Delhi and RCB will start the second phase against Gujarat Giants and will be coming into this game on the back of a comprehensive win and momentum on their side.
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The Giants on the other side have been winless so far in the tournament. Chasing 163 against DC in the last fixture, they could only manage 138/8. Meghna Singh did pick up a four-wicket-haul for them early on but gave away 37 in 4 overs. Later, they struggled to stitch a partnership with the bat.
RCB’s dependence on Smriti Mandhana
The Orange Cap holder at the end of first leg, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana has so far notched up 219 runs in five matches including a couple of half-centuries and a 43. Out of the three games where the left-handed batter has scored more than 40, RCB have won two.
RCB haven’t been able to put up a big total on the board whenever Mandhana has failed to perform. For instance, the fixture against MI saw RCB scoring just 131/6 in 20 overs when she was dismissed for nine.
It is safe to conclude that RCB are over-dependent on Mandhana’s runs and the other batters would want to come to the party as the business end comes closer.
Many problems, no solution for Gujarat Giants
Marred with injuries, the Gujarat team has been struggling with their batting and fielding. Scores of 126/9, 107/7, 142/5, and 138/8 explain the issue quite clearly.
“Scoring a few more runs will be pretty helpful, probably from the skipper to begin with and then flowing through the rest of the team,” captain Beth Mooney had said after her team’s 25-run loss on Sunday. This is not the first time that the side is struggling with the bat. Last season, they managed just two wins from eight matches.
A major cause of their dismal run has been the unstable opening combination. In four games, the Giants already have tried three different opening pairs. Mooney has opened with Veda Krishnamurthy, Harleen Deol, and Laura Wolvaardt. Moreover, Deol picked up a leg injury in the third game causing more problems in forming a team combination.
Match Details
What: GGT vs RCBW, WPL Match 13
When: March 6, Wednesday
Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Match Timings: Toss at 19:00 hrs, match starts at 19:30 hrs
Likely XI
RCB won’t be looking to tweak the winning combination and might go in with the same XI.
RCB: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Sabbhineni Meghana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Ekta Bisht, Simran Bahadur, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Thakur Singh
The injury concerns have been a massive one for the Giants and have not let them breathe easy. The extent of Deol’s leg injury is unknown, Kashvee Gautam was ruled out of the tournament before the start, and Sneh Rana was ruled out of Sunday’s game due to injury.
Dayalan Hemalatha was the latest to join in this tally after the ball struck her on the forehead while attempting a catch in the 15th over. Sayali Satghare subsequently replaced her as the first-ever concussion substitute in the WPL. It would be another headache for the team management if Hemlatha isn’t fit to play the upcoming fixture.
GGT: Laura Wolvaardt, Beth Mooney (c & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ashleigh Gardner, Veda Krishnamurthy, Dayalan Hemalatha, Kathryn Bryce, Tanuja Kanwar, Tarannum Pathan, Meghna Singh, Mannat Kashyap
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