WPL 2023 : Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Review
Smriti Mandhana knows that her Royal Challengers Bangalore team needs to step up their game after suffering two consecutive defeats in the Women’s Premier League. No one was expecting them to drop the ball in this match against Mumbai Indians, but that is what happened and Mandhana admits it was a below-par performance overall. Thankfully, she believes her team can learn from these valuable lessons and emerge stronger for the remaining matches. She has vowed that the team will make a strong comeback and show why they were a force to be reckoned with ahead of the tournament. After back-to-back defeats, it will be interesting to see how quickly they can regain their confidence and get back on track as they look to make a lasting impression on this premier competition.
Ravaged by Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers Bangalore were forced to accept defeat with a 34-run gap. For many, including batter Smriti Mandhana, RCB’s performance couldn’t have been worse. At the post-match presentation, Mandhana pointed out that despite two or three batters capturing 20-30 runs each, her own performance left something to be desired. With determination and spirit in tacty even in the face of disappointment, she states “We would have loved to put up a better performance. We were below par. Will come back harder.” Here is hoping for a compelling return to the crease next time around!
To ensure a successful tournament, the captain and her team need to take advantage of every opportunity. It is important for the team to remain focused and not become overwhelmed by its losses. Mandhana looks to her bowlers for success, believing that with their hardwork and dedication, victory is possible. The coach also encourages the batters to put up a higher total on the board. This tournament may be short but there is still potential for redemption from earlier defeats; even in franchise cricket, it’s possible to make a quick turnaround with the guidance of an experienced coach and talented players.
Despite the top order collapse, RCB can be buoyed by the positive contributions from Kanika and Shriyanka at the crease. The two were able to minimize further loss of wickets, thus giving RCB some hope of turning the match around until Mumbai Indians sealed their victory in a convincing manner. Their combined batting display has undoubtedly been one of the silver linings on what was otherwise an off-night for RCB who have now lost two games in succession. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians can celebrate their second win in as many outings this season.
While the batting of both sides remained similar for the duration of the game, Harmanpreet and his team gave a fantastic performance on the bowling side, improving from their first game against Gujarat Giants. This constant improvement enabled them to limit their opposition’s run rate in today’s game, giving them every chance to win despite not having much of a lead at the beginning. This kind of commitment and dedication ensured that they played well enough to keep themselves in contention throughout the match, ultimately finishing with a satisfying victory.