WPL 2024: 3 records that were broken during RCB's 2-run win over UPW in Match 2

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) got off to a thrilling start to the second edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) as they beat UP Warriorz (UPW) by two runs in Match 2 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The match, held on February 24 (Saturday), went till the last ball when Sophie Molineux (1/36) defended 11 runs in the 20th over.

Earlier, RCB were put to bat first in front of their home crowd. They lost two big wickets in Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine inside the powerplay before Sabbhineni Meghana and Richa Ghosh rebuilt the innings.

The two Indian talents brought RCB back into the game by scoring wonderful half-centuries. While Meghana made 53, Ghosh hammered 62 off only 37 balls. This led RCB to a first-innings score of 157/6.

In reply, UPW lost their skipper, Alyssa Healy, quite early. However, the middle-order batters kept the run-chase going. A 77-run partnership between Shweta Sehrawat and Grace Harris meant that UPW needed only 30 runs off the last four overs with seven wickets in hand.

Then came a batting collapse from the visitors, who lost their next three wickets in only two more runs. Sobhana Asha turned the match upside down as they claimed 5/22 to give RCB their first win of the season.

The thrilling encounter also witnessed a slew of records being broken, three among which are:

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#3 First 5-wicket haul at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in WPL or IPL history

Sobhana Asha after his fifer vs UPW

It is quite surprising to know that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has hosted a total of 88 IPL matches since the league's inception in 2008, has not seen a single five-wicket haul.

While the ground is considered a batting paradise, this comes as a shocking fact that Sobhana Asha's magnificent fifer is the first five-wicket haul by a bowler at the venue in IPL or WPL history.

In IPL, Samuel Badree's 4/9 against the Mumbai Indians is the best bowling figure at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

RCB's Asha is the first cricketer to achieve the feat in the iconic stadium.

[Stat credit: @rhitankar8616]

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#2 First Indian to score a fifty for RCB in WPL

Sabbhineni Meghana for RCB

Sabbhineni Meghana displayed great hand-eye coordination during her fabulous knock of 53 against UPW. Her free-flowing hitting saw her clobber seven fours and a maximum, making the UPW bowlers pay from time to time.

When Meghana reached her half-century in the 14th over, she became the first-ever Indian player to register a half-century for RCB in WPL history.

Interestingly, Meghana was playing her first match for the franchise, as she was part of the Gujarat Giants (GG) in the previous edition.

A few overs later, Richa Ghosh also completed her fabulous half-century, making herself second on the list. Ghosh's 62, meanwhile, is now the highest individual score by an Indian wicket-keeper in WPL.

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#1 Best bowling figures by an Indian in WPL

Sobhana Asha in jubilation after her fifer

Another significant record that Sobhana Asha broke after her match-winning performance was registering the best bowling figures by an Indian in WPL history.

The 32-year-old is now the first-ever Indian to take a fifer in the tournament. In the list for the best bowling figures, she has surpassed Saika Ishaque's 4/11 (vs GG) in WPL.

Asha completely rattled the UPW's top and middle order as she accounted for the wickets of Vrinda Dinesh, Tahlia McGrath, Shweta Sehrawat, Grace Harris and Kiran Nagvire.