RCB Women Script History

The Royal Challengers Bangalore Women (RCB) have finally engraved their names in history! They emerged victorious in the thrilling finale of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, defeating the Delhi Capitals Women by a comfortable 8 wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. This win holds a special place in their hearts, as it marks their first-ever T20 title, not just in the WPL but also in the Indian Premier League (IPL)!

Imagine the celebrations in Bengaluru! RCB fans flooded the streets, fireworks bursting across the night sky, painting it with the colors of victory.

The chase for 114 runs by RCB began cautiously. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine played it safe, scoring slowly in the initial overs, making 18 runs in their first four overs and scoring 25/0 in the powerplay, with Smriti (12*) and Sophie (13*) unbeaten. But the tide turned in the seventh over when the explosive Sophie Devine unleashed her power against Radha Yadav, smashing boundaries and a six to take RCB’s score to a healthy 43 runs.  Just as things were looking dangerous for Delhi Capitals, Shikha Pandey provided them with a breakthrough, dismissing Sophie Devine for 32 runs in 27 balls.

And then came, the ever-reliable Ellyse Perry, next and ensured the chase stayed on track. RCB reached the 50-run mark in eight overs. The partnership between Mandhana and Perry blossomed, taking RCB closer to the target. A boundary each by Mandhana and Perry in the 13th over, took the score to 72/1.

Unfortunately, Mandhana’s dismissal by Minnu Mani in the 15th over for 31 in 39 balls, created a slight hiccup as her shot fell into the hands of Arundhati Reddy. But Richa Ghosh, known for her finishing skills, stepped up to the challenge. Along with Perry, they steadily chipped away at the remaining runs. RCB was 82/2 in 15 overs.

With the tension rising in the final few overs, RCB gathered nine runs in the 17th over, including a four by Richa Ghosh, leaving the team with 18 runs to get in three overs. With a boundary by Perry, RCB were just 11 runs away in two over from the win and after Richa Ghosh smashed the winning shot, RCB sealed the victory with 3 balls to spare!

Ellyse Perry won the orange cap for the most runs scored in the WPL 2024 season. She amassed the most runs in a single season of WPL – 347 and broke Meg Lanning’s record of 2023 when she made 345. Meanwhile Shreyanka Patil was awarded the purple cap for taking the most wickets in the tournament. Her record-breaking four-wicket haul in the final took her season tally to 13 and made her earn the honours.

 

The celebrations erupted – RCB Women were the WPL 2024 Champions!

The victory wasn’t just about the chase. Earlier, RCB’s bowling attack, especially the spinners Sophie Molineux and Shreyanka Patil, rose to the occasion. They restricted the strong Delhi Capitals batting line-up to a modest total of 113 runs, paving the way for a comfortable chase.

Brief Score: Delhi Capitals 113 all out (Shefali Verma 44, Meg Lanning 2, Shikha Pandey 1/11, Minnu Mani 1/12) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (Ellyse Perry 35, Smriti Mandhana 31, Sophie Devine 32, Richa Ghosh 17, Shreyanka Patil 4/12, Sophie Monilex 3/20).

This is a historic win for RCB Women and their jubilant fans. They’ve proven their mettle and hopefully, this is just the beginning of their reign as champions!