It has been a rambunctious start for the Royal Challengers Bangalore Women as they secured two victories from the first two games. The Smriti Mandhana-led squad started the campaign with a two-run win against UP Warriorz before they followed it up with another thumping victory against Gujarat Giants.

The best part for the Royal Challengers Bangalore Women this year has been the team coming together. Last year, the journey was marked with a handful of isolated bursts of brilliance but then the returns weren’t as promising as they would have hoped it to be. This year though, the entire team has been at the top of their game.

Despite Sophie Devine returning dwindling numbers in the first two games, it goes without a saying that the White Fern can be a thorn in the flesh of the opposition the day she gets going. For the Capitals, they were off to a tame start as Mumbai Indians romped past without breaking a sweat but they were quick to shirk off the defeat as they thundered past UP Warriorz in scintillating fashion.

This is going to be a battle of critical importance for both sides considering the fact that the points table is wide open. A victory for RCB will help them cement their position at the top of the points table further while a win for DC will bring them on level pegging with RCB and MI, the latter with a match in hand to play.

Key player battles:

Smriti Mandhana vs Marizanne Kapp

The RCB-W skipper returned to form in the last match, spearheading the charge with an electric 43. She will be hopeful of putting up another showdown in the ongoing edition of the tournament while her new ball challenge will be coming from none other than the South African icon, Kapp. Kapp’s last game display left the Warriorz reeling in agony and she will look to trouble the RCB captain as well.

Ellyse Perry vs Radha Yadav

Perry got off to a blockbuster start in the last game and eventually ensured that RCB seized the win without any fuss. She blasted an unbeaten 23 from just 14 balls, showcasing her exemplary power-hitting flair while making easy work of a modest total on the board. On the Delhi side of things, Radha Yadav has been making all the right noises of late. Her four-fer against the Warriorz proves to be a reminder that on a pitch that has assisted spin bowling, Perry vs Radha will be a pivotal battle to watch.

Renuka Singh vs Meg Lanning

Singh’s start in the Red and Gold threads was silent enough but her ecstatic display in the last match saw her wrecking the Giants convincingly. The movement that she generated laced with a burst of military discipline ravaging the opposition, Renuka will be one to watch out for. Meg Lanning comes to any fixture with a boatload of expertise and her half-century in the last game will certainly be a reminder of what she is capable of.

Match Details:

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Date: 29th February, 2023

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry*, Indrani Roy, Shradda Pokharkar, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana (C), Sophie Devine*, Georgia Wareham*, Kate Cross*, Ekta Bisht, Shubha Satheesh, S Meghana, Simran Bahadur, Sophie Molineux*, Nadine de Klerk*

Delhi Capitals:

Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning (cap), Shefali Verma, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Marizanne Kapp, Titas Sadhu, Alice Capsey, Laura Harris, Minnu Mani, Jess Jonassen, Taniya Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Sneha Deepthi, Arundhati Reddy.