Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Smriti Mandhana said she is also to blame after a poor batting display saw the team suffer its fourth straight loss in the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2023) on Friday.
On Saturday, March 11, RCB suffered a crushing 10-wicket loss against the UP Warriorz after another poor performance with both bat and ball at the Brabourne Stadium.
The RCB failed to live up to expectations despite having star players like Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Heather Knight, Megan Scutt, Renuka Singh, and Richa Ghosh at their disposal, and now their latest defeat has dented the RCB’s chances of advancing in the ongoing WPL 2023.
After the game, Smriti Mandhana said: “I think in the last four games, it has been happening. We start well and we lose a cluster of wickets. I will take the blame as well. As a top order batter, we need to put up runs on the board for the bowlers to defend.”
On her plans in the middle overs, Mandhana said, “We spoke about it before this match that we will try to take 7-8 runs per over but it did not work out today. As top-order batters, we need to bat well and put up a good total to defend. We don’t have injuries.”
The RCB skipper further added, “We are trying to get a balanced team that can win us a game. I have tried to speak to almost all the players, pep them up and I have to keep doing it. Last week has been tough. Lots to reflect and lots to work on. A lot of people have reached out to me and as an international cricketer, we have faced these situations before. I have my family around me always but I always believe that you have to sit by yourself and rectify your mistakes.”
Meanwhile, UP Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy led the side from the front to its second win in the WPL 2023 with a scintillating 47-ball 96* against the RCB.
After the game, Healy hailed her spinners for their wonderful performance with the ball against the RCB.
Notably, England’s left-arm spinner Ecclestone finished with incredible figures of 4/13, while Deepti ended with 3/26 in the WPL 2023 match against the RCB.
The Aussie star noted: “I was really pleased with the bowlers. Before the game, I thought if we could keep them to under 200, it would be great. To keep a batting unit like that to a score under 140 was phenomenal. It was spin to win tonight. It is still a good batting wicket but our spinners bowled well in partnerships. Anjali held her nerve too. Our bowlers executed really well tonight.”
Healy signed off by saying, “Devika came into the top of the order and just showed her class. During the series we played against India, I thought what she was doing so low down the order. We just set the platform early. We got off to a really good start. At the time-out, we discussed about not dragging it out until the final over. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. Today it did and I am really happy about that.”
(With PTI Inputs)
