After a strong start, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) WPL 2025 campaign has taken a turn for the worse with three straight defeats. Their captain, Smriti Mandhana’s erratic play, has been a major concerning factor to their recent difficulties. Although Mandhana’s match-winning 81 off 47 balls against the Delhi Capitals demonstrated her brilliance, her performances otherwise have been far from sublime, which has hurt RCB’s momentum.
Mandhana began the season with a modest 9 off 7 balls against the Gujarat Giants. However, she delivered her finest performance against Delhi Capitals but has failed to continue this momentum in subsequent matches. She scored a mere 10 off 20 balls in the rematch against Gujarat, 26 off 13 balls against Mumbai Indians, 6 off 9 against UP Warriorz, and most recently 8 off 7 against Delhi Capitals.
In six games, Mandhana has managed only 140 runs. As a result, RCB’s batting lineup has suffered due to her inconsistent play at the top. Their middle order has frequently been forced to consolidate rather than accelerate, as Mandhana has failed to provide strong starts in most games. This has placed added pressure on players like Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry to rebuild innings, making it challenging for RCB to post competitive totals, who’ve yet managed to rise to the occasion.
RCB, now with three straight losses after starting the season with two victories, is struggling to get off to strong starts in the powerplay. For the squad to recover and contend for a playoff spot, fans will hope their skipper captain finds her footing.
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