RCB women defeated Delhi capitals by eight wickets.
Following Royal Challengers Bangalore’s triumph in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, defeating Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets, former Indian captain Virat Kohli has shared his thoughts on the victory.
Despite his 16-year tenure with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) without securing a title, Virat Kohli expressed his solidarity with RCB women on Instagram, labeling them as ‘Superwomen’ in a recent post.
Under the leadership of captain Smriti Mandhana, RCB comfortably chased down a modest target of 114, reaching the required total in 19.3 overs with just two wickets down.
Taking the batting initiative, Delhi Capitals made a formidable beginning in the crucial final match, as captain Meg Lanning and her opening partner Shafali Verma took charge against the RCB bowlers.
Verma and Lanning combined forces to create an uninterrupted partnership of 64 runs in the first seven overs, laying a solid foundation for a formidable total in the final WPL 2024 contest.
The RCB bowling unit faced difficulties in stemming the flow of runs from the DC openers, particularly Shafali Verma, who swiftly compiled 44 runs from 26 deliveries, appearing poised to achieve yet another notable half-century.
The match witnessed a dramatic shift during the strategic time-out following the 7th over when Sophie Molineux’s bowling performance in the 8th over completely changed the flow of the game. It was Shafali Verma who departed first, aiming for a big hit over long-on but ultimately finding Georgia Wareham stationed in the deep.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey faced a similar fate, both falling victim to consecutive deliveries, which left Delhi Capitals in a precarious position at 64 for three after 7.4 overs. Subsequently, the momentum shifted decisively in favor of RCB, as Delhi’s middle-order found it challenging to mount a recovery following the early setbacks.
Adding to Delhi’s woes, Shreyanka Patil put up an outstanding performance, registering remarkable figures of 4/12 from 3.3 overs. Her contributions played a significant role as RCB managed to bowl out their opponents for a mere 113 runs in 18.3 overs. Additionally, Patil’s four-wicket haul propelled her to secure the title of the tournament’s top wicket-taker, with a total of 13 dismissals to her name.
Responding to the target, Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine laid a strong foundation for RCB with an opening partnership of 49 runs. Despite Devine’s dismissal after scoring 32 runs off 27 deliveries, Mandhana and Ellyse Perry collaborated effectively to stabilize the innings for RCB.
Mandhana’s departure after crafting a solid 31 runs from 39 deliveries left RCB at 82 for 2 as the 15th over concluded. Entering the final six overs with 42 runs needed, Perry and Richa Ghosh orchestrated RCB’s path to victory in WPL 2024, with Ghosh ultimately securing the win with a boundary.
Perry concluded her innings undefeated on 37 runs and emerged as the top run-scorer of the tournament, amassing a total of 347 runs throughout the WPL 2024 competition.
