Bengaluru, Feb 26: Smarting from their dramatic Super Over loss in the Women’s Premier League, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will aim to get back on track when they take on bottom-placed Gujarat Giants here on Thursday.
The defending champions started strong with two commanding wins, but consecutive defeats against Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz have halted their momentum.
With Delhi Capitals surging to the top of the table after their victory on Tuesday, RCB will be desperate to return to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Giants continue to languish at the bottom of the points table, having managed just one win in four outings.
Their latest defeat to Delhi Capitals was particularly dismal, as they barely scraped past the 100-run mark.
The loss to UP Warriorz will sting Smriti Mandhana and Co. the most, as they were in control for much of the game but failed to defend 42 runs in the last three overs, leading to a Super Over, where they could muster only four runs.
“Disappointing to be on the losing side today. We did a lot of things right with both bat and ball, but things faltered towards the end. We will take that in our stride and come back stronger,” Mandhana said after the match.
Mandhana herself has struggled for form, registering just one big knock in four innings. Off-spin remains her Achilles’ heel, having been dismissed by it 11 times in the WPL – more than any other batter.
On the bright side, England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been a steady presence at the top, while Australian veteran Ellyse Perry has been in sensational touch, notching three half-centuries, including an unbeaten 90 in the previous game.
Perry, who had been nursing a hip injury, returned to bowl two overs in the last match, providing a major boost to RCB’s balance.
However, RCB’s bowling unit has been far from impressive. Their pacers, Renuka Singh and Kim Garth, have struggled with consistency, often erring on either side of the ideal length.
Meanwhile, their spinners Georgia Wareham, Ekta Bisht, and Kanika Ahuja have failed to exert control in the crucial middle overs.
Gujarat Giants’ batting woes continue to haunt them. The side tried reshuffling their inconsistent top order in the last match – bringing in Harleen Deol as an opener and replacing the struggling Laura Wolvaardt with Phoebe Litchfield – but the move failed to pay off.
Adding to their troubles, captain Ashleigh Gardner, who was their standout performer in the early games, has endured a lean patch with both bat and ball.
The team has leaned heavily on its overseas contingent, and if they are to turn their fortunes around, their Indian players will need to step up. (PTI)
Match starts 7:30pm
