Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will hope to return to winning ways when it hosts a resurgent UP Warriorz (UPW) in the Women’s Premier League at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.
The defending champion’s homecoming began on the wrong foot after it lost to Mumbai Indians by four wickets in the first game of the Bengaluru leg. On the other hand, the Deepti Sharma-led UPW will be upbeat after opening its account this season courtesy of a thumping win against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
RCB holds sway in this fixture, having won three of the four games against the Warriorz in the competition. Moreover, the last two wins came at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which bodes well for the home side.
UPW’s only win against RCB came in the first edition when the then-Alyssa Healy-led side smashed the Challengers by 10 wickets. Healy’s imperious 47-ball 96 (the second-highest individual score in WPL) single-handedly decimated the opponent. However, Healy isn’t there this time to help the Warriorz.
But in Chinelle Henry, the Warriorz have found a capable injury replacement for the Australia skipper. The West Indies all-rounder announced herself to the WPL in her side’s win against the Capitals with the joint-fastest half-century of the league (62 off 23 balls) and the wicket of Marizanne Kapp.
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For someone like Henry, the conditions of the pitch and ground dimensions are thrown out of the window. If she middles the ball, it sails over the fence almost inevitably. However, someone who can be an obstacle for her is RCB’s Renuka Singh.
If the match gets the same strip used for the Capitals vs Warriorz clash, then Renuka can make the ball move at her will with the amount of grass cover the pitch has. It will aid the pacer get quick wickets in the beginning overs as well.
RCB openers Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge will hope to go deeper in the innings after a disappointing time in the middle against the Indians. But the Challengers will have an in-form Ellyse Perry in their midst, who’s coming off a 43-ball 81.
Someone who can possibly stand in Perry’s way is young pacer Kranti Goud. After clean bowling Meg Lanning for her first WPL wicket, Kranti will hope to send another Australian stalwart back to the hut.
The toss factor may not work this time since UP Warriorz broke the trend of teams batting second, coming out on top. Nonetheless, both sides will be looking to bowl first.
