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In a thrilling Women's Premier League (WPL) final showdown, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ended their title drought by defeating Delhi Capitals with three balls to spare, securing a memorable victory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The match marked a historic moment as Bangalore's women's team claimed their first WPL title, overcoming Delhi's challenge in a high-stakes encounter. Delhi, batting first after winning the toss, posted a total of 113 runs in 18.3 overs, thanks to a brilliant start by Shefali Verma and captain Meg Lanning. However, RCB's spinners, led by Shreyanka Patil and Sophie Molyneux, turned the tide with their exceptional bowling, restricting Delhi's innings and taking crucial wickets.
RCB's chase of 114 runs got off to a solid start with Sophie Devine and Smriti Mandhana contributing 49 runs for the first wicket. Despite losing Devine, Mandhana anchored the innings until Minnu Mani dismissed her for 31 runs. However, a composed partnership between Elise Perry and Richa Ghosh ensured RCB's victory in the final over, with Perry remaining unbeaten on 35 runs and Ghosh on 17 runs.
Delhi's batting lineup faltered against RCB's spin attack, with Patil and Molyneux wreaking havoc and taking seven wickets between them. Shefali's aggressive 44-run inning provided initial momentum for Delhi, but RCB's spinners dismantled their batting order, restricting them to 113 runs.
The strategic brilliance of RCB's team management, coupled with Mandhana's leadership and Perry's composure under pressure, played a crucial role in securing the title. The victory not only marked RCB's first WPL title but also highlighted their ability to perform under pressure in crunch situations.
RCB's journey from underdogs last season to champions this year showcases their determination, improvement, and resilience. The women's team's success contrasts with the men's team's history in the IPL, where they have yet to claim the trophy despite several attempts.
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| Credit : Jio Cinema |
Smriti Mandhana | RCB captain: Feeling hasn't still sunk in. Hard for me to come out with expressions. One thing I'll say is I'm proud of the bunch. Our Bangalore leg was really good. We came to Delhi and had two tough losses. That's what we spoke about that we need to step up at the right time. These tournaments are about peaking at the right time. Last year taught us a lot of things. What went wrong, what went right. Management just said this is your team, build it (your way). Thumbs up to them. For RCB, it's a lot more. I'm not the only one who won the trophy, the team has won the trophy. I'm not the person to talk about what I feel. This is in top five maybe. Obviously a World Cup would top it. Have a message for the fans - the most loyal fanbase. One statement that always comes up is Ee Sala Cup Namde. Now it's Ee Sala Cup Namdu. Kannada is not my first language but it was important to say it for the fans.
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| Credit : Jio Cinema |
Meg Lanning | DC captain: Obviously disappointing not to get it done. Finals are about playing well on the day. Congratulations to RCB - you outplayed us tonight. It all happened relatively quickly as it tends to do. As we've seen in this tournament, crazy things happen. Full credit to RCB, they fought back really nicely and deserved the win. We did a lot right. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. A lot of effort went from a lot of the people. Want to thank the support staff. Cricket is a funny game - you win some, you lose some.
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