Match no. 2 of the ongoing 02 edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will feature a contest between Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz. The game will be played at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, on the 24th of February 2024, at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Smriti Mandhana (C), Ekta Bisht, Georgia Wareham*, Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Molineux*, Shradda Pokharkar, Richa Ghosh, Kate Cross*, Nadine de Klerk*, Shubha Satheesh, Sabbhineni Meghana, Indrani Roy, Asha Shobana, Ellyse Perry*, Simran Dil Bahadur, Disha Kasat, Renuka Singh Thakur, Sophie Devine*
UP Warriorz – Alyssa Healy* (C), Tahlia McGrath*, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Chamari Athapaththu*, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Grace Harris*, Sophie Ecclestone*, Kiran Navgire, Saima Thakor, Shweta Sehrawat, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, Soppadhandi Yashasri, Gouher Sultana, Danni Wyatt*
Players to watch out:
Sophie Devine
The 34-year-old all-rounder in the previous WPL edition amassed 266 runs, including the highest of 99, striking at 172.72, while with the ball, she struck 3 wickets from 5 innings. Sophie has been in fine form in the lead-up to the WPL, especially with the ball, and will be backed to find her footing with the bat. Her game is best suited for this wicket, and she will be counted on for the goods.
Renuka Singh Thakur
The 28-year-old pacer from 6 WPL outings last edition bagged only a wicket, leaking runs at an economy rate of 9.54, struggling for lines and length. Renuka was in rewarding form throughout the domestic season and in a recent series against Australia, returned figures of 1/24 (4), 0/22 (4), and 0/35 (4). The wicket early on will be favorable for pacers, and she’ll be backed to excel.
Shweta Sehrawat
The 19-year-old top-order batter scored only 34 runs from 6 WPL appearances last edition; however, she is a promising talent and will be backed for a better season this time around. Shweta added 448 runs to the tally from 20 T20 domestic outings this season. It’ll be hoped she continues with this momentum, leading the scoring, and replicating the success.
Sophie Ecclestone
The 24-year-old left-arm spinner in the 2023 WPL season scalped 16 wickets from 9 outings, while also chipping in scoring 70 runs from 7 outings, with bests being 4/13 and 22*. Sophie, in a recent series against India, produced figures of 3/15, 2/14, and 2/43, and she’ll be relied upon to deliver economical spells and lead the wickets tally. She’ll be banked on for an all-rounder effort.
Pitch:
The Chinnaswamy Stadium features a well-balanced center wicket that caters to both batters and bowlers. While the smaller ground dimensions favor the batters, the average score of 140s also suggests that the pitch is likely to aid bowlers.
Weather:
With partly cloudy skies and a minimal chance of rain, the conditions are ideal for a complete game of cricket in Bangalore. The temperature is expected to hover around 28°C, with light winds and humidity at 50%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Alyssa Healy, Richa Ghosh, Sophie Devine, Tahlia McGrath, Deepti Sharma, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Danni Wyatt, Sophie Ecclestone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur
Match details:
Date – February 24, 2024
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Jio Cinema and telecasted on Sports18.
