RCB girls broke the franchise’s 16 year losing streak to claim the champions spot for TATA WPL 2024. As the team demolished Delhi Capitals in their home ground congratulations poured in from the likes of Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and many more. Here’s a low down of the team’s journey so far.
March 17 was a moment to remember for every Royal Challengers Bangalore fan across the world. RCB girls played with all their might against Delhi Capitals to win the second season of Women's Premier League (WPL) in a thrilling match held at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. With this historic win, the Smriti Mandhana led team broke the franchise’s 16-year losing streak.
With the WPL coming to a close and RCB emerging as the rightful champions, lets have a look at the team’s journey throughout the tournament and the wonderful performances showcased by the RCB girls.
Look Back at RCB’s Fight for a Comeback in WPL Second Season
Smriti, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, led her team to victory in the TATA Women's Premier League 2024, securing their maiden title. Her determination, strategic acumen, and consistent performance with the bat, including 300 runs in 10 matches, contributed to the team's ultimate success.
This is the second season of TATA WPL, as the maiden season was relatively harsh for RCB. They performed well, with a mix of youth and experienced players but could only secure 2 wins out of 8 league matches, finishing fourth in the points table. This loss made the comeback even stronger with utmost confidence and determination. Both their batting line and fielding line were strong enough to compete with any of the respective teams during the second tournament of TATA WPL 2024. Star players, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Sophie Molineux, and Shreyanka Patil along with Captain Stylish made the win successful.
Ellyse Perry: Team’s Top Performer
The team started strong giving tough competition to their opponents but during the mid-tournament, they started losing pace facing back-to-back losses. Further, the asset player of the team, Ellyse Perry made a comeback by defeating Mumbai Indians two times in a row clinching 6 six-wicket hauls and great runs, which led the team to make their place into the finals. Ellyse Perry has climbed her Best Bowling Figures against MI. In just 4 overs, she grabbed 6 crucial wickets with an economy of 3.75.
Ellyse also carries the title of player with the fastest 5-wicket haul in just 7 matches. The Australian player has been exceptional in WPL 2024. Royal Challengers Bangalore secured a 7-wicket haul win against defending champions Mumbai Indians in Match 19 of the TATA Women's Premier League 2024, majorly due to RCB star player, Ellyse Perry's impressive bowling performance and unbeaten 40* off 38 run chase. She now secures the Orange Cap of the season smashing the highest 347 runs.
A Thrilling Final Match
Royal Challengers Bangalore secured their maiden TATA Women's Premier League (WPL) title with a thrilling performance from spinners Sophie Molineux, Shreyanka Patil, and Asha Shobhana. Smriti's fielding and spinners made a turning point in the game, with Georgia Wareham giving away just three runs in the seventh over. Sophie Molineux reversed the match grabbing wickets of Shafali, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Alice Capsey in the same over. Shreyanka Patil took a significant 4-wicket haul of Captain Meg Lanning, Minnu Mani, Arundhati Reddy, and Taniya Bhatia. RCB spinners grabbed all the wickets of DC making their team all-out. RCB secured a win chasing the score of 114 by 8 wickets. The pair of Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh gave it all. Their performance was phenomenal with Perry hitting 35 off 37 and Richa smashing 17 off 14 with a last four to finish the game.
The winning team was provided with Rs. 6 crore prize money along with the titles. It is the first team to grab the major title along with the Trophy. Ellyse Perry with the Orange Cap, Purple Cap goes to Shreyanka Patil, Team with the Fair Play award, Aussie Player Sophie Molineux grabs Player of the Match, and Georgia Wareham is the Electric Striker of the Season.
RCB Fandom & Celebrations
The Men's Indian Premier League (IPL), launched in 2008, features ten city-based franchise teams in India. Virat Kohli, a stalwart for RCB, was acquired during the draft system for $30,000. Virat has been a key player for RCB for 16 years, driving strategic decisions and team culture. He has mentored young talent and contributed to the team's growth. Despite not winning an IPL title, RCB has held record totals and a passionate fanbase. After many years, RCB has secured the Trophy which has become a nationwide celebration for its fanbase. Almost 30,000 spectators were in the stands to witness the TATA WPL Finals between DC and RCB.
Virat Kohli congratulated Smriti Mandhana and the team as they won the Women's Premier League (WPL) trophy during a video call on the field right after the match ended. Prominent cricketers, including AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, and Sachin Tendulkar, also expressed their heartfelt wishes. Smriti in her winning speech expressed her joy towards the team and title along with thanking her and the franchise fans and supporters for their belief mentioning “Ee Sala Cup Nammadu.”
Inaugural Season for RCB Franchise
The winning side was led by an able Smriti Mandhana who has always been one of the top players for India and a highly coveted name in WPL franchise as well. She secured the highest bid in the 2023 Women's Premier League auction, being acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs. 3.4 crore.
Smriti became the most expensive Indian player to be bought at the inaugural auction of the Women's Premier League. One of the most popular faces in Indian women’s cricket, she is a left-handed opener who can also bowl right-arm medium pace. She was awarded the Best Women's International Cricketer of the Year in 2018 by BCCI. She has also been honored with the 'Arjuna Award'.
RCB as a franchise has a lot going for it, with top performers and support members being a part of the team’s journey. This season of WPL will remain special for all RCB fans as it was this year that fans could say ‘Ee Sala Cup Nammadu’ (this year the cup is ours).
