WPL, Smriti Mandhana named Royal Challengers Bangalore captain: Key details
On expected lines, Smriti Mandhana has been named the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the inaugural Women's Premier League. Mandhana emerged as the costliest bid at the player's auction earlier this week. The stylish Indian opener fetched a whopping Rs. 3.4 crore. Notably, Mandhana has led the Women in Blue at times and fared decently. Here we look at the key stats.
Why does this story matter?
Mandhana is one of the most prolific batters going around and her T20 record is nothing but incredible. The southpaw can make optimum utilization of the powerplay overs and her ability to play big knocks makes her even more lethal. Notably, Mandhana has piped England skipper Heather Knight to get the leadership role. Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry was another potent option.
A look at her T20I career
Mandhana has been a vital part of India's batting line-up for the last few years. The swashbuckler is the seventh-highest scorer in women's T20Is. She has piled up 2,661 runs for India Women at 27.15. Mandhana has slammed 20 fifties. In 18 matches in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Mandhana has scored 308 runs at a paltry 18.11.
Presenting RCB's squad for WPL 2023
RCB spent Rs. 11.9 crore to buy 18 players at the concluded auction. The tally comprises 12 Indian and six overseas players. Squad: Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Erin Burns, Disha Kasat, Indrani Roy, Asha Shobana, Kanika Ahuja, Dane van Niekerk, Preeti Bose, Poonam Khemnar, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt, Sahana Pawar, Heather Knight, and Shreyanka Patil.
A star-studded cast
RCB have a well-rounded attack for WPL. Mandhana is a huge plus at the top. The likes of Perry, Knight, Sophie Devine, and Dane van Niekerk offer value on both batting and bowling fronts. Richa Ghosh gave a glimpse of her hard-hitting ability in the Australia T20Is at home last year. Meanwhile, Singh is a threat with the new ball.
Mandhana's leadership credentials
Mandhana was certainly a go-to option as captain for RCB. She owns a 6-5 win-loss record while leading India Women in T20Is. The southpaw tallied 199 runs in these games at 24.87. She led the Trailblazers to glory in the 2019 Women's T20 Challenge.
Here are the five franchises
The Adani Group attained the Ahmedabad-based franchise for Rs. 1,289 crore. The Mumbai-based side was bagged by Mumbai Indians (MI) owners for Rs. 912.99 crore. Owners of Royal Challengers Bangalore bought the Bengaluru-based side for Rs. 901 crore. Delhi Capitals (DC) owners bagged the Delhi-based team for Rs. 810 crore. Capri Global acquired the Lucknow-based side for Rs. 757 crore.
WPL to get underway on March 4
The opener of the inaugural WPL will be played on March 4. The competition will conclude on March 26. A total of 22 games will be played across two venues in Mumbai - DY Patil Stadium and Cricket Club of India (CCI).
