"Losing an important player like Ellyse...": Mithali hails RCB skipper Mandhana's "calm" captaincy after second WPL triumph

Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], February 6 (ANI): Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) second Women's Premier League (WPL) title win, former Indian captain Mithali Raj praised the franchise for clinching the trophy despite losing star all-rounder Ellyse Perry, crediting skipper Smriti Mandhana for keeping the team focused and composed throughout the season.
Australia's Ellyse Perry thanks skipper Smriti Mandhana, "who kept things calm and simple and allowed players to be themselves".
Perry, a 2024 WPL champion and a key contributor with both bat and ball for RCB over the years, opted out of the recently concluded season due to personal reasons. She was replaced by young Indian all-rounder Sayali Sathgare. After Sathghare was announced as her replacement, fans and experts alike doubted whether RCB could even make it to the playoffs without Perry, who has tasted immense success with both bat and ball in this competition. However, the team executed a near-flawless campaign, culminating in a dominating performance in the final, where the Georgia Voll-Smriti Mandhana partnership powered RCB to chase down 204, completing a historic double of WPL and IPL triumphs.
Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Match Centre Live', JioStar expert Mithali said, "Losing an important player like Ellyse Perry just before the start of the season, bringing in new additions, and getting the combinations right, it has not been easy. They started well, had a slight blip with back-to-back losses, regrouped, and then had a six-day break. As a leader, Smriti had a lot to do in keeping the unit positive. We saw Grace Harris speaking in the huddle, settling nerves before the big final. You can see the camaraderie in this group. One of Smriti's biggest strengths is keeping things calm and simple, allowing players to be themselves and bring out their best."
Following the triumph, pacer Lauren Bell, who conceded runs at an economy of just 5.52 this season and took 12 wickets to pull off both wicket-taking and containment roles excellently, said that the partnership between Voll and Mandhana was "a joy to watch".
"I was just sitting back watching it. Then, for the girls to come in at the end and finish the job shows what we have done as a team. Throughout this tournament, different people have stood up. It was an amazing chase and an amazing final. It has been a period of domination," she added.
Bell added that while nerves were inevitable in the final, their previous experience in the Delhi-Gujarat eliminator helped them anticipate a good pitch.
"We thought their score of 203 was maybe above par. We did not bowl great in some spells. But our batting lineup is strong, and we back ourselves to chase anything. We knew it was a good pitch. In this tournament, we have seen that you can chase big scores in the last five overs. We felt we were in the game throughout the whole chase," she signed off.
Coming to the match, RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first. Lizelle Lee (37 in 30 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Shafali Verma (20 in 13 balls, with three fours) put their team to a flying start. A 76-run stand for the third wicket between Jemimah Rodrigues, who played a captain's knock of 57 in 37 balls, with eight fours and Laura Wolvaardt (44 in 35 balls, with three fours and two sixes) brought them back to the game. Just when RCB threatened to pull things back, Chinelle Henry (35* in 15 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) played a fiery cameo to power DC to 203/4 in 20 overs, the highest in a WPL final.
In the chase, RCB lost Grace Harris (8) early, but a 165-run stand between Smriti (87 in 41 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes) and Georgia Voll (79 in 54 balls, with 14 fours) pierced DC's chances with every hit. DC threatened to pull things back with three quick wickets in the final few overs, but Radha Yadav (12*) and Nadine de Klerk (7*) chased the total with six wickets and two balls in hand.
Mandhana was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)