In WPL 2024, Smriti Mandhana leads RCB to a 23-run triumph over UP Warriorz.

With the tournament’s second half set to take place in Delhi, the Royal Challengers are once again a contender.
Smriti Mandhana was beaming last month as Royal Challengers Bangalore kicked off their Women’s Premier League campaign in front of home supporters, receiving thunderous ovation at the toss. In the final game of the season at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, the RCB captain celebrated her farewell with a 23-run victory over UP Warriorz thanks to a brilliant knock.

RCB was in fourth place in the points table, slightly below UPW, having lost their previous two matches. However, the Royal Challengers are once again in the running when the competition moves to Delhi for the second half. Asked to bat first, Smriti’s 50-ball 80 helped the hosts reach 198/3, their biggest total of the season. Despite leading from the front with the bat, Ayssa Healy’s half-century was insufficient as UPW concluded with 175/8.

Bangalore moved S Meghana (28), a right-hander, to the top of the lineup, and it proved to be effective as the pair quickly added 51 runs for the first wicket. Then, after Chamari Athapaththu misplayed a catch and Healy failed to stump the opposition, Smriti received two reprieves in three deliveries. Despite this, Smriti stayed aggressive and played some elegant strokes to the crowd of almost 26,000.

Ellyse Perry, who had been mostly patient, lost control when Smriti was out for 95 runs in the 17th over. In their final three overs, RCB amassed 44 runs, and the star Australian hit 25 runs off the final nine deliveries she faced. With an unbeaten 21 off 10 balls, Richa Ghosh, who entered at No. 4, put the finishing touches on the game.

Smriti remarked, “I was really focused going into the game today.” “We really wanted to go out there and express ourselves, whether we were batting first or second, because the last two losses hurt us a lot.” Although the pitch was a little bit holding, we really backed ourselves to make the shots. We also discussed that in the changing room.

Although Healy and Kiran Navgire had a strong start to the pursuit, the Warriorz were unable to build on their momentum. Before Kiran was fired by Sophie Devine, Athapaththu was controversially fired as an LBW after being struck in the face by Georgia Wareham.

Much hinged on Grace Harris, who was playing well, but she was also unable to get going. She eventually gave one to wicketkeeper Richa, who made a superb catch diving to her left. The outcome was never truly in doubt as Devine, Wareham, Asha Sobhana, and Sophie Molineux shared the eight wickets among them, despite the best efforts of Deepti Sharma and Poonam Khemnar.