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Big picture – Smriti Mandhana vs Jemimah Rodrigues
Against Gujarat Giants (GG), they were clinical in all departments for the most part. Losing early wickets did not slow them down, as their batting depth stood out again. With the ball, too, RCB were mostly on point against a hard-hitting GG line-up, and in the field, they matched it with moments of brilliance, taking stunning catches despite a couple of drops under pressure. In the end, RCB got the job done and stayed on top of the table, and their net run-rate of 1.828 says plenty.
While RCB’s batting is full of power, it’s their bowling that looks like their biggest strength right now. Lauren Bell has been a threat with the new ball, Arundhati Reddy has been steady with both ball and in the field, and Shreyanka Patil is in top form, while Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav have supported them well.
But there are areas RCB will want to fix before the big games come along. The top four struggled against GG, but Radha’s excellent knock at No. 5 helped cover that, with Richa Ghosh and de Klerk adding quick runs. Grace Harris had an off day, while Dayalan Hemalatha at No. 3 and Gautami Naik at No. 4 continue to struggle. Smriti Mandhana is yet to find her rhythm this season, and will be keen to do so against her India team-mate and close friend Jemimah Rodrigues, who will be up against her as captain for the first time in the WPL.
Rodrigues’ Delhi Capitals (DC) finally got their first win of the season after two early losses, and will know they have to be at their best to challenge this RCB side. Like Mandhana for RCB, much will depend on Rodrigues for DC. She has shown intent with the bat but is yet to stay long enough to finish games.
DC’s bowlers came good in the last match against UP Warriorz (UPW). But with the bat, despite runs from Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt and Chinelle Henry, the team is still waiting to click as a unit. On Saturday, in the final match this season at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, they will hope to put things right on a batting-friendly pitch. Can they push a tired RCB side that will be playing again within 24 hours?
Team news – Will Georgia Voll get in?
With Hemalatha and Naik not doing enough, will RCB look to bring in Georgia Voll to strengthen their top order? If they do, it could be at the cost of left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who has gone wicketless in all three games. Meanwhile, Reddy seemed to have hurt her knee while fielding in the ninth over of GG’s innings on Friday, and was off the field for a bit. But she returned in the 12th over, and also finished her quota of four overs.
RCB (probable): 1 Grace Harris, 2 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 3 D Hemalatha, 4 Gautami Naik, 5 Radha Yadav, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Arundhati Reddy, 9 Shreyanka Patil, 10 Linsey Smith/Georgia Voll, 11 Lauren Bell
DC (probable): 1 Shafali Verma, 3 Lizelle Lee (wk), 3 Laura Wolvaardt, 4 Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Niki Prasad, 7 Chinelle Henry, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Minnu Mani, 10 N Shree Charani, 11 Nandani Sharma
In the spotlight – Radha Yadav and Shafali Varma
Radha Yadav has barely bowled in her three matches. She bowled just two overs in the opening game, did not bowl or bat in the second, and sent down only two overs in the third. Against GG, though, it felt like she had a point to prove, and she did that with the bat, making 66 off 47 balls after coming in at No. 5 with RCB struggling. That Radha is an excellent fielder is known, but she showed she is more than a handy batter, something she has done often in domestic cricket, where she regularly bats higher up the order.
While Radha has made an impact with the bat, Shafali Verma has been contributing with the ball. She bowled a tidy four overs against UPW, conceding just 16 runs and picking up two wickets in the final over. With the bat, however, she is yet to hit her best form this season. Shafali has found it hard to time the ball, even as her opening partner Lee has managed to get going and cover for her. Against UPW, Shafali looked closer to her best, and seemed to be finding her rhythm. But she never quite broke free, eventually falling for 36 off 32 balls.
Nine matches in, four teams have won batting first while five have won chasing, though all captains have opted to chase after winning the toss. Slower bowlers have come into play, while fast bowlers have found movement upfront. Dew, however, does not seem to be playing as big a part this time.
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