Smriti Mandhana, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Meg Lanning, the captain of Delhi Capitals, pose for photographs on the eve of the ultimate Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 on March 16, 2024.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
In-form Delhi Capitals, led by the inspirational Meg Lanning, would hope to be second-time fortunate and elevate their maiden Women’s Premier League title after they take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the summit conflict in New Delhi on March 17.
After lacking out on the title in WPL’s inaugural version final 12 months, shedding by seven wickets to Mumbai Indians in the ultimate, DC appeared like a rejuvenated facet this 12 months.
DC have been in excellent kind this 12 months, topping the five-team league standings with 12 factors from eight matches.
Meg Lanning has led DC from the entrance, scoring 308 runs from eight innings, whereas South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and Australian left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen are the very best wicket-takers for the facet with 11 scalps every.
DC’s solely two defeats this season got here towards Mumbai Indians UP Warriorz. Leaving apart these two matches, they’ve loved a near-perfect marketing campaign.
Going into the ultimate, they begin as favourites, having by no means misplaced to RCB in 4 conferences. However, previous outcomes will hardly have any significance in the ultimate. It might be a brand new day and the facet which may face up to strain and expectations will elevate the title.
DC will count on the explosive Shafali Verma to supply them with a fast begin alongside Lanning. Jemimah Rodrigues has been in wonderful nick in the center, however Lanning would count on extra contributions from the likes of all-rounders Alice Capsey and Kapp.
On the bowling entrance, Jonassen has been the star performer however the likes of Kapp and Shikha Pandey too have contributed. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav has additionally been efficient with 10 wickets and the house workforce will rely rather a lot on its spinners in a comparatively gradual Kotla pitch.
RCB’s inconsistent run
RCB, on the opposite hand, completed third in the league part after an inconsistent run that yielded eight factors from as many video games, however they clicked when it mattered, knocking out defending champions MI by 5 runs in the eliminator in New Delhi on Friday.
All-rounder Ellyse Perry might be key to RCB’s success on Sunday as in addition to being the very best run-getter with 312 runs, the Australian has been spectacular with the ball, scalping seven wickets.
If not for Perry’s all-round present towards MI on Friday, the end result may have been completely different. She first performed a significant 50-ball 66-run knock after which returned with figures of 1/29 to play a key position in RCB’s journey to the ultimate.
But Perry would search for extra assist from the likes of skipper Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Richa Ghosh and Sophie Molineux with the bat.
However if RCB had been to cease DC, they would wish efforts from their bowlers, particularly the likes of Renuka Singh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Wareham and so forth.
All in all it guarantees to be a cracker of a contest with the steadiness barely tilted in the direction of hosts DC.
