WPL 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Giants lock horns with eyes on first win

Two video games, two losses – hardly the beginning each the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Giants would have hoped for within the inaugural version of the Women’s Premier League.

The two sides, determined for that first win of WPL 2023, conflict on the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday.

While two video games within the span of 4 days is hardly sufficient time to make high quality assessments, the Giants have been the extra improved of the 2 groups going by performances. The event opener noticed Gujarat endure a 143-run drubbing by the hands of table-leader Mumbai Indians, exposing each attainable deficiency the facet had.

The Giants had been sloppy on the sphere. Despite a semblance of management over proceedings early on, the bowlers misplaced the plot and skipper Beth Mooney was left scrambling to seek out somebody who may present a breakthrough. Things had been no higher with the bat as Mooney twisted her left knee within the very first over, taking her out of not simply that match but additionally a couple of extra video games. Quick wickets, rising stress and an imbalanced line-up meant the Giants meekly surrendered for simply 64.

Their second recreation in opposition to UP Warriorz noticed a significantly better displaying. While the ‘Sophia Dunkley for Beth Mooney’ swap didn’t yield astronomical outcomes, it appears prudent to proceed with the English batter given her prowess as an opener. She additionally provides the group a leg spin possibility. Sneh Rana, who took over because the captain, seemed calm and answerable for her assets, a stark change from Mooney within the first recreation. Hardly stunning this, given her expertise with the Railways within the Indian home scene. The masterstroke, although, was the inclusion of Kim Garth. The Irish-Aussie pacer dismantled the Warriorz response earlier than her compatriot Grace Harris snatched the sport away from them within the loss of life with an adrenaline-filled 26-ball 59 to seal the match within the final over.

Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy has come beneath the scanner with RCB falling to 2 sorry losses in two video games. In an outfit crammed with superstars, it’s not a paucity of assets however how they’re used that’s been the problem.

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RCB was outclassed by Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals by 60 runs in its event opener. Heather Knight picked up each the wickets RCB managed that night and the likes of Megan Schutt, Renuka Singh Thakur, Ellyse Perry and Preeti Bose didn’t pose any severe problem to the Delhi batters. The batting didn’t do any higher. Despite a constructive begin by Mandhana and Sophie Devine, the remainder of the gamers didn’t convert begins into significant scores. The recreation in opposition to Mumbai unfolded in comparable trend, though RCB batted first. Mumbai, driving on fifties from Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt, cantered to a simple nine-wicket win to consolidate its spot on the high of the desk.

RCB and the Giants have power-packed squads, however each have to concentrate on channelling that fireplace of their performances. Converting assured begins, staying calm when the going will get powerful and guaranteeing the fundamentals go unbothered – clear fielding, strike rotation – will maintain the groups in good stead as they wait to get off the mark.