Royal Challengers Bangalore team faced significant trolling following their fourth-place finish in the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), having won only two out of eight matches. Despite this, Mandhana took the criticism in good stride and even found humor in the situation. Fast forward a year later, the same Indian cricket star played a pivotal role in leading RCB to their first-ever WPL title. In the final match held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, RCB defeated Delhi Capitals by eight wickets under Mandhana’s leadership.
During the match, RCB faced a daunting task as Delhi’s openers Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning started strongly, scoring 64 runs off 42 balls. However, Sophie Molineux turned the game around with an exceptional over, taking three wickets in just four balls, which significantly impacted Delhi’s momentum. This setback proved crucial as Shreyanka Patil, who dismissed Lanning soon after, continued to dominate the lower-order batsmen, leading to Delhi’s collapse for a mere 113 runs in 18.3 overs.
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Mandhana’s Cautious Stand
The vice-captain of India played a cautious innings of 31 runs off 39 balls and built a 49-run opening partnership with Sophie Devine, giving RCB a solid start in the chase. However, Delhi’s bowlers tightened their grip in the middle overs, making what seemed like a comfortable chase much more exciting and tense.
During the post-match presentation, a delighted Smriti Mandhana reflected on RCB’s journey from a disappointing WPL 2023 season to a championship-winning campaign in 2024.
She expressed, “The feeling hasn’t fully sunk in yet, and it’s hard for me to put it into words. One thing I can say is that I’m incredibly proud of this team. Our performances in Bangalore were excellent. When we came to Delhi, we faced two tough losses. That’s when we discussed the need to step up when it matters most. These tournaments are all about peaking at the right time. Last year taught us valuable lessons about what worked and what didn’t. Our management empowered us by saying, ‘This is your team, build it your way.’ I want to give a big thumbs up to them.”
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