RCB Women hope to put an end to losing rut against UP Warriorz

It hasn’t been the most optimistic start for the Royal Challengers Bangalore women as they have stuttered and find themselves stuck in a rut with three back-to-back losses to begin their WPL 2023 campaign. 

The bowlers have failed to deliver and despite a few individual batting performances, RCB haven’t managed to get across the finish line in three matches. For their 4th match, RCB will take on the third-placed UP Warriorz in order to carve the opening block of resurgence that seems pretty bleak at the moment with the numbers stacked overwhelmingly against Smriti Mandhana and co.

A major positive, though, is that in their last match against the Gujarat Giants, the batting unit showed that it comprises of a high-profile list of tested stars who can step up when their team needs them to. However, their bowlers will have to put their foot down and toil hard in order to try and stall the run flow that has been the major cause of bother for the Challengers. 

UP Warriorz, on the contrary, has shown a general decline with the bat and the RCB bowlers will be hoping they can strike early and consistently to make this game a cold and dank offing for the Alyssa Healy-led-outfit. However, with Tahlia McGrath’s return to form bolstered by the presence of Healy, the Warriorz look to be a formidable unit on the papers. 

However, when the willow meets the leather in the 22 yards, no history and no paper stand ahead of the action. It is all about the moment that the players forge and having said that, RCB Women will put everything on the line in order to secure their maiden victory in the tournament.

Key player battles:

Heather Knight vs Tahlia McGrath

Heather Knight has proven to be the most valuable player of the RCB side thus far and as things stand she will continue to play a massive role for the team with bat and ball. Not only has she delivered handsomely with the willow, but she has also picked up some crucial wickets to prevent the opposition batters from running away with the game. As for UP, all-rounder Tahlia McGrath was in devastating form in the last game and has also been decent with her medium-pace, making the Knight vs McGrath battle all the more exciting.

Sophie Devine vs Shabnim Ismail

In the first couple of games, Devine did get a required start but fell short of what could actually have been a threat to the opponents. However, the match against the Gujarat Giants showcased her true potential with the bat in her hands and the opposition found it hard to see her walking back. She will face off against UP’s Shabmnil Ismail, a pacer with loads of experience and with her ability to swing the ball, the South African pacer’s battle with the RCB opener will be an interesting one.

Ellyse Perry vs Sophie Ecclestone

Perry has displayed some ominous form with the bat in the first three matches, but the Australian star hasn’t converted her starts to a big score. An important part of RCB’s middle order, Perry will want to score fast and put up as many runs as she can, but she will need to contend with the threat posed by left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone.  

Match Details:

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs UP Warriorz

Venue: Brabourne Stadium

Date: 10th March, 2023

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Squads: 

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Smriti Mandhana (C), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Erin Burns, Disha Kasat, Indrani Roy, Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, Asha Shobana, Heather Knight, Dane van Niekerk, Preeti Bose, Poonam Khemnar, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt, Sahana Pawar 

UP Warriorz: 

Alyssa Healy (c), Deepti Sharma (vc), Sophia Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Shabnim Ismail, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Devika Vaidya, Lauren Bell, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Shweta Sehrawat, S. Yashasri, Simran Shaikh.