After the historic opening match of the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League, the enthralling action will continue in the premier women’s T20 competition of India as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals take on each other in the second match at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on March 5 (Sunday).
RCB will be led by the star Indian batter Smriti Mandhana while Delhi will be led by arguably the most successful international captain ever, Meg Lanning. At the WPL auction, Bangalore targetted several big names from international cricket and created a star-studded squad consisting of Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh Thakur, Richa Ghosh, Heather Knight and Megan Schutt.
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals have stars such as Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey and many more. Captain Meg-Lanning will have the pressure to replicate her international success and lead Delhi to the title win in the inaugural edition.
RCB-W vs DEL-W Match Details
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, Match 2, Women’s Premier League 2023
Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
Date & Time: March 5, 3:30 PM IST
Telecast & Live Streaming: Sports18 & Jio Cinema
RCB-W vs DEL-W Pitch Report
There have been a total of 11 T20I matches played at the venue out of which six have been won by teams batting second. The average first innings score batting first at the venue is 165. The boundaries at the Brabourne stadium are a bit shorter as compared to other stadiums in the country, hence a high number of boundaries can be expected during the game.
The pacers can get some assistance from the wicket early on in the innings while the spinners are expected to have a tough day due to short boundaries. The captain winning the toss will most likely choose to bowl first keeping in mind the past record of the venue.
RCB-W vs DEL-W Probable Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bangalore Women (RCB-W):
Predicted playing XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Richa Ghosh (w), Disha Kasat, Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, Poonam Khemnar, Megan Schutt, Renuka Singh Thakur
Delhi Capitals Women (DEL-W):
Predicted playing XI: Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning (c), Marizanne Kapp, Laura Harris, Taniya Bhatia (w), Arundhati Reddy, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav
RCB-W vs DEL-W Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter
Smriti Mandhana:
The star Indian opener was the most expensive player at the WPL auction as RCB roped her in for a whopping INR 3.4 crore. She was India’s leading run-scorer at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 scoring 151 runs at an average of 37.75. Mandhana will be expected to live up to her reputation and set the tournament on fire in her first appearance.
Probable Best Bowler
Megan Schutt:
The Australian seamer is one of the stalwarts of the game as with 124 wickets to her name she’s just three wickets away from becoming the leading wicket-taker in WT20Is. She was the joint second-highest wicket-taker of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 having picked up 10 wickets at an average of 13.50. The right-arm fast-medium bowler will look to rattle the opposition and pick crucial wickets for her team.
Today’s Match Prediction: Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the match
Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.