The RCB will kick off their 2024 WPL season with a match against UPW at the m Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, February 24, in the presence of a passionate audience.
Regrettably, Bangalore was forced to make personnel adjustments prior to the tournament. Heather Knight withdrew due to international obligations, resulting in the signing of Nadine de Klerk as a replacement.
In the meantime, Shraddha Pokharkar took the place of Kanika Ahuja, who had to withdraw due to a stress fracture.
RCB Team for the WPL 2024:
Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Elly 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.
Here is RCB’s XI lineup for their second match of WPL 2024 against UPW.
Rewritten text: Smriti Mandhana (captain) and Sophie Devine as openers.
CB should maintain the identical starting combination for the WPL 2024.
Smriti Mandhana had a poor performance as a batsman in the first season, failing to score a single fifty and averaging below 20. She will need to improve in the upcoming season.
Mandhana is accompanied by the formidable Sophie Devine, who may also be tasked with taking the new ball and creating opportunities during the power play. The experienced New Zealander will effortlessly adapt to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Middle order: Meghana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, and Georgia Wareham
RCB requires a domestic middle-order batsman following Kanika’s retirement, and Meghana’s advanced power play could outshine Disha Kasat. She batted at the top in WPL 2023 for Gujarat Giants (GG), but was able to move to N° 3 due to a strong opening partnership in Bangalore.
Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh will be the key players in the middle-order for RCB. They will have to take on the responsibility of scoring the majority of runs in the absence of Knight and Kanika.
Nadine de Klerk and Kate Cross are competing to be the final overseas player on the team, which could prove to be a challenging decision. Cross brings a strong bowling option and also contributes to the batting lineup.
Recently, de Klerk has been performing well, while Cross is not even considered for the T20I team for England. As a result, the South African player may be chosen to provide more batting options and diversity during the middle overs.
Georgia Wareham was a clever pick-up from RCB during the WPL 2024 auction and was set to join the XI as a leg-spinner with batting abilities, making her a valuable addition to the team.
Rewritten text: Shreyanka Patil, Simran Dil Bahadur, Renuka Singh Thakur, and Ekta Bisht in descending order.
Shreyanka Patil and Renuka Singh Thakur have been appointed as the heads of the Spin and Pace departments. Patil had a successful campaign in the WPL 2023, while Thakur faced challenges in taking wickets and will need to improve this year.
Ekta Bisht is currently considered as one of the top left-handed players in Indian Cricket and is expected to secure Asha Shobana a spot in the XI. However, the experienced player may face difficulties in adapting to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Simran Dil Bahadur, a player recently acquired by RCB during the auction, may be selected for her impact over Shraddha Pokharkar. This all-rounder deserves a fair opportunity in the WPL, which could potentially occur this season.
