Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024: Clean stadiums, little-known domestic talent on the rise, capped players trying to be relevant – the RCB vs DC clash is going to be exciting. The debate over the need for a tournament like the WPL seems very recent.
They said there wasn’t enough depth of talent to form the league and divide it into enough teams to captivate audiences. With a stadium full of people cheering them on, this time things could have turned out differently. Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
The Capitals are here because of their dominance in the group stage. Twice in two seasons now, they have topped the pool and reached the final straight away. RCB’s journey is crowded. After opening with two wins, they suffered a mid-season slump before beating the two-time defending champions here. Not surprisingly, the history of these two teams has been brought up quite a bit in the IPL. Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
It was a ringing support for Mumbai’s collapse in Asha Sobna’s nerve-wracking final on Friday night. At 33, it is possible that he would have been a mere footnote on several domestic scorecards had he not been given a chance in the WPL. The Capitals have identified a core group of young Indian players to take them forward. Arundhati Reddy and Radha Yadav, who were not in the conversation until the Indian team, are part of it. The impressive performance here is a byproduct of tremendous support from Meg Lanning and the coaching staff. Now, a national call may not seem so surprising.
Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
Shefali Verma’s chat with Lanning is bound to be merciless and consistent and has the effect of adding a new gear to her game. Minnu Mani’s smile and Lanning’s hug after a past Ash Gardner defense told you how a team culture that enables young players to discover themselves and grow as individuals has already reaped dividends. Shreyanka Patil, a find of WPL 2023, has come in leaps and bounds from there. Battling a hairline fracture and delivering a clutch performance, he resisted the idea of resting to avoid aggravating his injury in Friday’s eliminator. Stories of hope, inspiration and glory will once again be seen on the biggest stage of them all on Sunday evening and it will culminate in the WPL with a new winner. Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
It seems to fit. Twice this season, Asha Shobna has helped RCB complete the last over defence. He saved 10 runs in the opener against UP Warriors. Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
He made 11 saves against Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. His choice over regulars like Renuka Singh reflects his confidence in Smriti Mandhana. At 33, Asha is not new, but his work could see him in India’s T20 World Cup squad in Bangladesh later this year. Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
Jemima Rodriguez came into form towards the business end after a slow start. He scored 38*, 58, 17 and 69* in his last four innings. Unlike last year, where he was primarily a saver, Rodriguez has added a strong power game to help finish innings. This versatility gives him a huge edge in India’s World Cup plans. Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
Likely XIs : Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion 2024
Delhi Capitals: 1 Meg Lanning (captain), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Alice Capsey, 4 Jemima Rodriguez, 5 Jess Jonassen, 6 Marijan Cupp, 7 Minnu Mani, 8 Tanya Bhatia (wicketkeeper), 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Shikha Pandey .
RCB: 1 Smriti Mandhana (captain), 2 Sophie Devine, 3 Elise Perry, 4 Disha Cassatt/S Meghna, 5 Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), 6 Sophie Molyneux, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Shreyanka Patil, 9 Renuka Singh, 10 John 11 Shraddha Pokharkar/Ekta Bishta .
RCB captain Smriti Mandhana on managing expectations