RCB-W lock horns with DC-W as the WPL 2024 crown beckons

It all comes down to Sunday evening as the Royal Challengers Bangalore Women take on the might and fury of Delhi Capitals. A contest like never before will unfurl in the wake of some crazy form that has been carved by both sides in recent times.

RCB-W will be coming off two back-to-back victories which saw them slaying the defending champions twice, dismantling them in the last group stage game while edging past them in a low-scoring thriller in the Eliminator. It very well could have been a hat trick of wins for the Women in Red and Gold, had it not been for a last ball miss against the same opposition as that of the grand finale.

Delhi will also be entering the contest fresh from two wins and a bit of prolonged rest as they qualified for the finals after getting the better of Gujarat Giants in the final league game. With both teams yet to win their first title, both teams will be eager to get their hands on the trophy.

Pitch Report:

A fresh surface in the center is going to be used which will be a balanced track as predicted earlier by the experts. However, knowing the surfaces of Arun Jaitley Stadium, it ideally supports good batting. Smart application from the bowlers will balance things out.

Key player battles:

Richa Ghosh vs Jess Jonassen

Ghosh has been in terrific touch of late and her pyrotechnics against Delhi Capitals in the last game that these two forces collided would certainly serve as a reminder of her brilliance. She has amassed 240 runs at a strike rate of 143.71 while being stellar with the gloves on. Jess Jonassen is the joint leading wicket-taker for Delhi with 11 scalps next to her name. She is also a clutch bowler and can deliver wickets under the pump.

Ellyse Perry vs Meg Lanning

This isn’t exactly a batter vs bowler battle. This is a clash on the psychological front that can completely shape up the game in a drastic manner. Perry and Lanning know each other inside out and it goes without a saying that these two will try and exploit the weakness of each other when it comes to enforcing strategies. Also, both are exceptional big-match players and can be reckoning game-changers in the summit clash. Pez bagged two back-to-back Player of the Match awards against Mumbai Indians and she is also the Orange Cap holder at the moment with 312 runs while Meg Lanning is just four runs adrift of the mantle. Call it a clash of titans.

Asha Sobhana vs Jemimah Rodrigues

In this Indian collision of two superstars, Sobhana’s mental resilience infused with her exhilarating display with the ball in her hands has been absolutely staggering. She has defended totals in the last over successfully not once but twice. The first of the two came against UP Warriorz in the season opener where she saved 10 runs to help RCB clinch the contest while the other is a lot fresher where she restricted Mumbai Indians to just five runs in the over while she was defending 11. She is also RCB’s leading wicket taker in the tournament with 10 wickets. Rodrigues had a silent start to the fray but has garnered pace in the last few contests, chronicling scores of 38*, 58, 17 and 69*. She was also the leading act for DC when these two teams last met in the incredible run-fest. Another personal rivalry that can shape the game up in what one would call a reckoning finale.

Match Details:

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, Final

Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi

Date: 17th March, 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.