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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on UP Warriorz (UPW) in the second match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, February 24.
The tournament got off to a cracking start with Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) playing out a last-ball thriller and fans would be expecting more excitement from the RCB vs UPW clash.
RCB had a forgettable time in the opening edition last year. They lost their first five matches in a row, most of them by comprehensive margins. Bangalore did win two of their last three games, but finished a disappointing fourth in the five-team tournament, with four points from eight matches. UP Warriorz finished third with eight points from eight games, winning four matches and losing as many. They reached the Eliminator, where they went down to Mumbai Indians.
In their two meetings last year at the league stage, RCB won one, while UPW emerged victorious in the other. As the teams prepare to battle in WPL 2024, we analyze which side looks stronger in the current season.
RCB: Rich in batting and all-round department
Looking at Royal Challengers Bangalore first, they will be led by star India batter Smriti Mandhana, who had a poor season last year but will be keen to get things right in this edition. She is one of the biggest names in international cricket at present and will be raring to prove her mettle. If she fires, Bangalore can expect to have a good season.
There is Indian keeper-batter Richa Ghosh as well, who is one of the most talented young hitters in women’s cricket at present. She has proved her ability on the big stage and has that X factor about her. Among other Indian talent in the batting department, Bangalore will depend on the likes of Sabbhineni Meghana and Disha Kasat.
Further, in Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry, RCB have two of the most prominent all-rounders in women’s cricket. On their day, both Devine and Perry can single-handedly win matches for the team. Bangalore will be hoping that both can have good seasons.
Shifting focus to RCB’s bowling, they have the services of Indian pacer Renuka Thakur Singh and England medium-pacer Kate Cross. Young off-spinner Shreyanka Patil had a decent WPL season last year and will look to make an impact again. South African pacer Nadine de Klerk and Aussie leggie Georgia Wareham add good variety to the bowling attack.
Like last year, Royal Challengers look strong in most departments. For them, like with the men’s team, it will be a case of things falling into place as a unit.
RCB squad for WPL 2024: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Sabbhineni Meghana, Richa Ghosh (w), Shreyanka Patil, Sobhana Asha, Simran Bahadur, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Renuka Thakur Singh, Disha Kasat, Nadine de Klerk, Ekta Bisht, Sophie Molineux, Indrani Roy, Shubha Satheesh, Shraddha Pokharkar
UPW: A highly versatile outfit on paper
Looking at UP Warriorz, they have a well-balanced outfit on paper, with several players possessing the ability to turn the match on its head. They are led by Australia’s keeper-batter and captain Alyssa Healy, who has a highly impressive record in the format.
In Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris, they have two batting all-rounders, who made a big impact in WPL 2023 and will be keen to do even better this time. McGrath scored 302 runs in eight innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 158.12, while Harris clubbed 230 runs in five innings, averaging 57.50 at a strike rate of 165.47. Both players will be key to UPW’s fortunes this season as well.
Having been picked as a replacement for Lauren Bell, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu will be keen to prove her mettle. Seasoned all-rounder Deepti Sharma impressed with the ball last season, but her batting came under the scanner as she failed to accelerate at the end. This is one area where her progress will be tracked closely. Big-hitting batter Kiran Navgire is another Indian from whom there will be high expectations.
Among bowlers, Sophie Ecclestone had a wonderful season last year. She was the joint-leading wicket-taker, with 16 scalps. UP Warriorz will have high hopes for her again.
UPW squad for WPL 2024: Alyssa Healy (c), Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Vrinda Dinesh, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Chamari Athapaththu, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Parshavi Chopra, Gouher Sultana, Saima Thakor, Laxmi Yadav, Danielle Wyatt, Soppadhandi Yashasri, Poonam Khemnar
In conclusion, UP Warriorz are the better team all-round, while Royal Challengers Bangalore have more star power. At the end of the day, it all depends on how the sides turn out on the field.
