Youth and experience combine as RCB Women register their first victory of WPL 2023

It took six matches but the RCB Women finally managed to open their account as they got the better of the UP Warriorz to register a much-needed 5-wicket win at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday. The bowlers were bang on their money for RCB to bowl out the Warriorz for just 135, and despite a small stutter, the batters eventually took the team home with 12 balls to spare. 

Winning the toss, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana opted to bowl first and a change in strategy worked wonders for the skipper as Sophie Devine struck a double whammy in the opening over, removing a dangerous Devika Vaidya (0) followed by UP captain Alyssa Healy (1). If that opening over was a dance of madness the following over saw Megan Schutt showcasing her flair with the cherry as she bagged the big fish, Tahlia McGrath (2).

Kiran Nagvire and Grace Harris did put in a staunch shift to help the Warriorz try and stall the RCB invasion, adding 24 runs for the 4th wicket but Asha Sobhana continued her decent form, striking for the first time on the day as she removed Navgire (22) with a loopy delivery. Simran Shaikh (2) was the next victim to Sobhana’s mercurial bowling as the woes kept on compounding for the Warriorz.

With half of the side back to the pavilion inside the first nine overs, it was Deepti Sharma and Grace Harris who added some stability to the batting effort before Ellyse Perry sprinkled her stardust with three wickets in quick succession. The Australian star all-rounder removed Grace Harris (46), Deepti Sharma (22) and youngster Shweta Sehrawat (6) inside two overs, leaving the Warriorz reeling at 112/8. A late shift from Sophie Ecclestone coupled with Anjali Sarvani’s brief stay in the centre allowed UP to post 135 on the scorecard at the end of their 20 overs.

Chasing a modest total, RCB’s start was powered by a defining range of shots from Devine, who scored 14 runs off the first five balls but then holed out to deep mid-wicket. RCB’s experienced duo of skipper Mandhana (0) and Perry (10) too failed to put up much on the scorecard, leaving the team in early trouble at 43/3. It was a young Kanika Ahuja who stepped up in the face of pressure to help RCB set course for the finish line and with significant support from Heather Knight first and then a watchful Richa Ghosh, RCB were cruising to the finish line.

After a stunning 30-ball 46 laced with shots all around the ground, Ahuja departed, leaving Ghosh and new batter Shreyanka Patil to take the team home. Patil eventually scored the winning runs for RCB, as the young duo celebrated the team’s maiden win in this WPL 2023, and the supremely talented Ahuja was named the Player of the Match for her valiant 46 plus a terrific showing on the field.