In the ninth match of the ongoing WPL 2024 season, RCB’s captain and in-form opening batter, Smriti Mandhana, couldn’t maintain her recent batting prowess against Mumbai Indians. After RCB was put into bat first, Mandhana mistimed a delivery from Mumbai Indians’ pace bowler Issy Wong in just the third over of the innings.
Coming off a stellar 74-run innings against Delhi Capitals at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Mandhana could only manage nine runs off 11 deliveries before losing her wicket. This setback left RCB at 14 for 1 in 2.3 overs.
In her brief innings, Mandhana did show glimpses of her attacking style, hitting a boundary off Mumbai Indians spinner Hayley Matthews in the second over. However, her attempt to capitalize on the momentum resulted in her dismissal by Nat Sciver-Brunt in the following over.
After Mandhana’s departure, RCB quickly lost her opening partner Sophie Devine and number three Sabbhineni Meghana, leaving them struggling at 34-3 by the end of their powerplay overs.
Despite the early setback, RCB, under Mandhana’s leadership, entered the match with confidence after convincing victories against UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants. While a previous loss to Delhi Capitals affected their position on the table, a win against Mumbai Indians would help them regain the top spot in the WPL 2024 standings.
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