RCB spin trio Sophie Molineux, Shreyanka Patil, and Asha Sobhana ran riot before Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh scripted a fairytale finish to claim their maiden WPL title.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led by skipper Smriti Mandhana stunned the WPL defending champions Mumbai Indians in the eliminator by five runs, defending the lowest total (135/6) of the season to advance to their maiden appearance in the final. They couldn’t have timed that performance any better.
The Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, had a great campaign in the 2nd edition of the Women’s Premier League, finishing at the top of the points table and as a result, earning a direct qualification in the final. The Delhi Capitals skipper Meg Lanning won the toss and opted to bat first. Shafali Verma got the Delhi Capitals off to a flying start, scoring just over 10 runs an over in the powerplay alongside skipper Meg Lanning.
The left-arm spinner, Sophie Molineux, was introduced immediately after the powerplay and she struck thrice in the 8th over of the innings. She accounted for three big scalps of Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Alice Capsey in an over to bring RCB, storming back into the contest. Marizanne Kapp joined skipper Meg Lanning at the crease and the duo failed to stitch a substantial partnership as they lost the wicket of their skipper Meg Lanning. Shreyanka Patil provided a massive breakthrough for RCB.
The Delhi Capitals suffered a horrible collapse as they were eventually bundled out for 113 with nine balls to spare, losing their last six wickets for just 39 runs. The spin duo of Sophie Molineux and Shreyanka Patil triggered the collapse. Shafali Verma (44 off 27 balls), skipper Meg Lanning (23 off 23 balls), and Radha Yadav (12 off 9 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Delhi Capitals.
Shreyanka Patil (3.3-0-12-4), Sophie Molineux (4-0-20-3), and Asha Sobhana (3-0-14-2) were the top performers with the ball for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Chasing a target of 114, the RCB openers Sophie Devine and skipper Smriti Mandhana got off to a steady start, scoring just over four runs an over in the powerplay. However, Sophie Devine stepped on the accelerator, smashing 18 runs off the left-arm spinner Radha Yadav’s over immediately after the conclusion of the powerplay.
The openers stitched a 49-run opening stand before Shikha Pandey picked up the wicket of Sophie Devine on the first ball of her spell to provide the first breakthrough for the Delhi Capitals. She was looking in ominous touch, threatening to wrap up the game in a hurry during her stay at the crease. Ellyse Perry joined skipper Smriti Mandhana at the crease and the duo took their time to start going before Minnu Mani picked up the big wicket of the opposition skipper Smriti Mandhana to break the 33-run 2nd wicket partnership.
Wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh joined Ellyse Perry at the crease and the duo took their side over the line to seal a historic victory by eight wickets and three balls to spare. Ellyse Perry (35 off 37 balls), Sophie Devine (32 off 27 balls), and skipper Smriti Mandhana (31 off 39 balls) were the top performers with the bat for RCB. Shikha Pandey (4-0-11-1), Alice Capsey (3-0-13-0), and Minnu Mani (2-0-12-1) were the top performers with the ball for Delhi Capitals.
The left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux was awarded the Player of the Match for her outstanding spell (4-0-20-3) with the ball, responsible for initiating a dramatic Delhi Capitals collapse. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led by skipper Smriti Mandhana finally ended the 17-year-old wait in franchise cricket for their maiden trophy by winning WPL. Smriti Mandhana became the first captain to win a trophy for Royal Challengers Bangalore. After multiple years of heartbreak, for all the RCB fans, and the players, the slogan “Ee Saala Cup Namde” finally turns into a reality in the 2nd edition of the Women’s Premier League on 17th March 2024 (Sunday), a historic day that will always be etched in the memories of all the RCB fans and players.
