Big Picture
Their bowling has been just as relentless. Lauren Bell and Sayali Satghare have exploited any early assistance, while the return of Pooja Vastrakar only strengthens an already formidable attack. De Klerk’s slower balls have been effective in these conditions, while offspinner Shreyanka Patil has shown increasing maturity, varying her lines smartly through the middle overs.
The biggest challenge for DC will be negotiating RCB’s potent powerplay attack, and openers Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma hold key to that. The explosive duo haven’t fired at the same time and that’s exactly what DC will need on Saturday if they want to dent RCB’s confidence. Jemimah Rodrigues found form at the right time with a match-winning knock against MI and her ability to build on that momentum will serve as a vital bonus as they look to strengthen their playoffs chances.
With N Shree Charani too being effective, finishing with three wickets against MI, she will be crucial against RCB’s middle order. In the battle between best friends, can Rodrigues get the better of Mandhana when they meet again in round two?
Team news and likely XIs
Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Lizelle Lee (wk), 3 Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), 4 Laura Wolvaardt, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Niki Prasad, 7 Deeya Yadav, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Lucy Hamilton, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Nandani Sharma
With Vastrakar returning to fitness following hamstring injury that kept her out for two weeks, she’ll be the direct swap for Sayali Satghare.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Grace Harris, 2 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 3 Georgia Voll, 4 Gautami Naik, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Radha Yadav, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Pooja Vastrakar, 9 Shreyanka Patil, 10 Prema Rawat, 11 Lauren Bell
Big question
In the spotlight
Marizanne Kapp has been slowly finding her rhythm with the ball after a quiet start to the season. After going wicketless in the first two games, she has picked four wickets in the next three while maintaining a tight economy. Against MI, she was clinical, conceding just eight runs off her four overs while not allowing a single boundary and also getting the crucial wicket of Hayley Matthews. While her batting is yet to come alive, runs from Kapp will be crucial to DC’s line-up in the lead-up to the playoffs.
Nadine de Klerk has been impossible to keep out of RCB’s performances this season. Following her explosive innings on the opening night against MI, she has been consistent with the ball, taking a wicket in every match and controlling the middle overs with her change of pace. She now has 10 wickets, the joint second-most this season with Amelia Kerr. Against Giants, with Ash Gardner and Anushka Sharma rotating the strike effectively, she repeatedly dragged Anushka wide outside off, forcing her to slice the ball to Radha Yadav. She later cramped Georgia Wareham with a short ball outside off which she top-edged to midwicket as de Klerk finished 2 for 17 from four tight overs.
Pitch and conditions
Strokeplay has not been easy for batters on the slow, back-soil pitch in Vadodara. Teams have continued opting to bowl first despite there being no clear advantage, with two out of three games won by teams batting first. The average first-innings score at the venue this season is 161.
Stats that matter
Previous meeting
Sruthi Ravindranath is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
