Smriti Mandhana overwhelmed, can’t hear question as Chinnaswamy goes wild in RCB vs UPW WPL tie, video gives goosebumps

Bengaluru witnessed a dramatic match as Royal Challengers Bangalore sealed a narrow two-run victory against UP Warriorz in their WPL 2024 season opener, on Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The match had every element of spice, drama, action and entertainment, and it was well-reflected right from the start.

Given the format of the second season of the Women’s Premier League, where the tournament will be played in two cities – Bengaluru and New Delhi, RCB, for the first time ever, got the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd. And the reaction from the home fans at the venue was clearly evident even before the first ball of the match was delivered. After UPW skipper Alyssa Healy spoke to the presenter at toss, where she won the toss and opted to field, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana was welcomed with a loud cheer from the Chinnaswamy crowd. The India opener was completely taken aback by the reaction and was visibly overwhelmed.

Reacting to the huge crowd, Mandhana said, “We already knew that. There’s going to be a lot of noise and support. That’s how RCB fan base is.”

When she was questioned about her expectations from the match, she initially couldn’t hear the question due to the crowd noise and had to ask for it to be repeated. After finally being able to hear the question, she said, “I think it’s the same wicket like last night. 175 would be a decent score if we play to our strengths. We didn’t have a great campaign last year. It’s important for all the players to step up in order to win the tournament.”

Put to bat first, RCB stuttered initially, losing openers Sophie Devine (1) and Mandhana (13) quickly. Meanwhile, Ellyse Perry (8) also failed to contribute and departed cheaply.

But Sabbhineni Meghana and Richa Ghosh had other plans as they built a fantastic partnership to set the foundation before the second strategic timeout. Just when it looked like they would bat till the final over of the innings, UPW fought back and got a few wickets, including those of Meghana and Ghosh.

Meghana got a half-century, hammering 53 off 44 balls, packed with seven fours and a six. Meanwhile, Ghosh smacked 62 off 37 balls and reached her maiden fifty in only 31 deliveries. This is also her best WPL score. Ghosh and Meghana helped RCB get 93 off the last 10 overs, posting 157/6 in 20 overs.

Chasing 158 runs, UPW were restricted to 155/7 in 20 overs, courtesy of Sobhana Asha’s stunning five-wicket haul, where three wickets fell in her final over, as RCB won by two runs.