In the Women’s Premier League (WPL) final on Sunday, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC). It was an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in front of a cheering full house. With this victory, RCB ended a 16-year wait for the title.
At a packed Arun Jaitley Stadium, DC was restricted to 113. In 19.3 overs, the Royal Challengers made 115 for two. RCB improved their fourth-place finish in 2023 in a brilliant fashion.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore started cautiously with the pair of Mandhana and Devine sharing 49 runs in 8.1 overs. In the 13th over, Perry broke the shackles, hitting pacer Arundhati Reddy to the deep midwicket boundary and then two balls later Mandhana cut the bowler to the backward point fence. In style, Ghosh finished off the chase with a four off Reddy.
The Delhi Capitals team was cruising at 64 for no loss in 43 balls. However, after that, they lost 10 wickets for just 49 runs in front of a 28,781-capacity crowd. From that point, the hosts never really recovered.
Shah’s greetings
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah extended wishes to RCB. He showered praise on skipper Smriti Mandhana.
“Congratulations to Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Champions of #TATAWPL Season 2! What a spectacular celebration of women’s cricket it has been! From outstanding performances to electrifying crowd support, this tournament has truly been a testament to the growing prowess of women’s cricket in India. Leading the charge with exemplary skill and leadership, @mandhana_smriti has not only contributed with her batting but also with her exceptional captaincy, steering RCB to a well-deserved title,” Shah wrote on X.
Kohli congrats RCB
Virat Kohli congratulated the team through a video call. In an Instagram story, Kohli also hailed the ‘Superwomen’ of the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
‘I was nervous, Perry calmed me’
After the splendid victory, Royal Challengers Bangalore wicket keeper-batter Richa Ghosh said she was nervous during the final overs. She revealed that all-rounder Ellyse Perry calmed her down and told her to play “natural shots” as just four runs were needed for the win.