Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were waiting over a decade and half for a trophy but it never ended with the men’s team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but the women’s team under Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy brought home the league trophy in 2024 with the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
They were not utterly dominant in the league phase, finishing third in the table, but turned on the style in the playoffs beating Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator and then easily overcoming Delhi Capitals in the final to lift the trophy.
However, even before the season began they were hit with multiple absences. Veteran New Zealand batter Sophie Devine has taken a break from cricket, while left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux was out with a knee injury she suffered while playing for Australia in the Women’s Ashes. England pacer Kate Cross has also pulled out of the tournament in order to complete her rehabilitation for a back injury.
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Shreyanka Patil and Asha Sobhana, two other key players of the title win last year, are still recovering from the injuries they suffered last year. The possible good news for the RCB camp is that Australia’s star allrounder Ellyse Perry can be ready to play after suffering a hip injury during the Women’s Ashes. Perry has joined the team ahead of the opening clash against Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on February 14.
While these are the many odds stacked against RCB, they are still capable of mounting a successful title defence in WPL 2025. So, we look at reasons that can make back-to-back titles possible.
The Indian opener recently became the second Indian to complete 4,000 runs in women’s ODIs and also stamped her authority in the three-match series against Ireland with scores of 41, 73 and 135. Her knock in the third ODI was a statement from Mandhana as she got to three figures in just 70 balls to rewrite the record for fastest women’s ODI hundred by an Indian batter.
The quality of Mandhana is such that there’s no bowling attack that can keep her quiet for too long. If there is a game where she misses out, she will get back up with a big knock in the next game. The lefthander’s opening impetus can make all the difference if RCB reaches the playoffs.
RCB have brought in Australian allrounder Heather Graham for Sophie Devine which is a fine replacement despite the gap in international cricketing experience. However, Graham is not a rookie playing alongside international stars for over 10 years in the Women’s Big Bash League, claiming 141 wickets and scoring over 1,500 runs from 138 games.
Another good replacement is Australia’s pace-bowling allrounder Kim Garth replacing Kate Cross. Garth is coming off a good outing in the Women’s Ashes where she has played all three T20Is, three ODIs and the lone Test. She has claimed nine wickets in total and much like Cross, has the ability to get wickets with the new ball.
Last season wasn’t just about Perry, Mandhana and other highly-rated stars but also contributions from someone like Richa Ghosh who is gradually making her presence felt at the elite level with her ability to send the ball a long way. Last season, Ghosh scored the tournament’s joint-second 10 sixes and was RCB’s third highest run-scorer behind Perry and Mandhana.
Ghosh can bat across the order depending on the situation and can also finish innings with her explosive hitting. Due to her batting flexibility Richa also doesn’t have the burden to amass runs, just few deliveries to change the game.
Bringing in VJ Joshitha after India’s Under 19 team’s victory in the Under 19 Asia Cup was a great choice. The medium pacer is capable of swinging the new ball and bowling economical spells upfront. She was highly impressive in India’s opening match against West Indies in the Under 19 Women’s T20 World Cup picking up six wickets from six games and maintaining an economy of 4.6.
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