BENGALURU: Smriti Mandhana and her band of players have a special place in Royal Challengers fans’ hearts. After all, they did what the much-vaunted men’s team hasn’t done- bring home the Cup.
So, when the likes of Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Kate Cross, Asha Sobhana and Shreyanka Patil were sidelined ahead of the start of this WPL season, trepidation ran high. Could the defending champions retain the title?
It didn’t augur well when they conceded 205 in the season opener against Gujarat Giants. The writing appeared on the wall, but Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry and Kanika Ahuja scripted a fairytale of sorts, powering the side to a record chase. It suddenly made RCB the side to beat.
Friday’s blockbuster between RCB and Mumbai Indians will mark the beginning of the Bengaluru leg. RCB, with two commanding wins in their kitty, will be keen to carry the momentum forward against Harmanpreet Kaur’s team.
Mumbai, who lost a thriller in their opening fixture, made amends in their next by securing a five-wicket win over the Giants earlier this week and will be seeking to bring RCB down a notch.
While RCB will start favourites, the focus will be on the skippers on either side, both leaders and icons. Both are seasoned batters and will seek consistency.