You can take well-informed punt across roles – Malolan Rangarajan on balance between domestic and overseas players
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru assembled an incredible group of overseas players in the 2026 WPL mega-auction. In the absence of Ellyse Perry, they knitted together a group comprising Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith and Nadine de Klerk. Every single one of them played a significant role in shaping the title win.
Talking on Big Basket presents RCB Podcast, RCB-W’s Head Coach, Malolan Rangarajan opened up on the overseas players and how they were extremely clear about their assigned roles. He also explained that the renowned names knew the kind of expectations that were pinned on their shoulders and they disposed that with clinical distinction.
Malo said, “Players you mentioned obviously have done well and while even the other two who played for us, Linsey (Smith) and Georgia Voll, had not contributions that you would see on the wicket or runs column as consistently as they would, but the impact they had within the game also has been tremendous. But having four overseas is the way the IPL and WPL is played. It's not going to change.”
Explaining the WPL dynamics, Malo added, “In the women's game, at the moment, there's a little bit more importance for the overseas, those four overseas slots because our Indian domestic girls are just being exposed to the standard, and we're just four years into the WPL. In ten years' time, I think, it will, not ten years, I mean, I don't want to give a number, it might be even in a year. But in time, we'll find that the domestic girls will also have to find a way, and credit again to our girls.”
Reflecting on how the domestic girls lived up to their expectations and how that affected that RCB’s combination, Malo stated, “A lot of our domestic girls have stood up in various times in different roles. But the balance, as you mentioned here, men or women, all-rounders are key. It really helps. You try different combinations, you can take a well-informed punt across roles because you have the flexibility of playing one extra bowler or one extra batter within one player. So, they've all contributed really well.”
Explaining how crucial was the contribution from RCB’s English pace ace, Malo said, “Lauren Bell has had a huge impact. But, I mean, her impact has been tremendous. One of the things we did, try to understand in what it takes to win, the impact we can have in the powerplay. And she's been instrumental. Even in games that she may not have picked wickets up front, just the pressure that she's created has helped the others come in and bowl an effective spell.”
He eventually concluded with a word about Grace Harris, stating, “And with Grace, everything goes back to how we want to play. That was our obsession, how we play. You get to the finals, you don't get to the finals. Those things are sometimes not in your hand, but what you can certainly control is how you want to play once you step into the ground. So, Grace has gracefully accepted the role that we had envisioned for her, and she's played with absolute, what do you say, mastery.”
