Unlimited action across two cities, multiple nail-biting affairs and craziness all-around – the four weeks of Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 was no short of entertainment. Now, it’s time to brace yourselves for the final showdown. The stage is set in Delhi and by the end of the day where Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals (DC) and Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will battle against each other on Sunday night as the ‘Queendom of Cricket’ will be ruled by a new champion.
DC have been the most successful side of the season, making a direct entry into the finals as the table toppers. They won 6 out of their 8 games and lost just 2, each to Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz, in the league stage. In fact, it will be their second consecutive final appearance since the commencement of the league.
On the other hand, RCB have fought their way to reach the final. Their journey this season was no less than a roller-coaster ride. They kicked off their campaign with back-to-back victories which suddenly derailed before they moved to the national capital. A 1-run defeat put them on the knife-edge but Perry’s historic bowling spell against MI sailed them safely to the playoffs where they outsmarted the defending champions yet again to knock them out.
What: Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 Final
When: March 17, Sunday
Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
Match Timings: 7:00 PM Toss, 7:30 start of play
DC vs RCB – Head to Head
Matches: 4 | DC: 4 | RCB: 0
Team News – Delhi Capitals
The DC camp is calm and chill ahead of the big finale, that’s what Lanning said at the captain’s press meet on Saturday. It’s a side which knows the temperament of big match-ups and performance-wise, they have been the hot favourites of the tournament. As many as four DC batters are among the top scorers of the tournament. Skipper Lanning is on fire and so are Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Marizanne Kapp.
The bowlers have been equally impressive this season as three of them are among the top-five wicket-takers of the season. Kapp leads the charts with 11 scalps in 6 games, followed by Jess Jonassen (11) and Radha Yadav (10).
“We’ve had a good mix of enjoying each other’s company off the field, had a really good dinner the other night with a bit of fun and then some training as well the last couple of days. So that’s the prep that we’ve gone with throughout the whole tournament, sort of letting individuals go about their business as they need to. And we feel like we’re in a really good space heading into tomorrow,” Lanning said.
READ MORE: ‘The Sun Always Comes Up the Next Day’: Ellyse Perry Reveals How RCB Bounced Back from 1-run Loss to Enter Playoffs
DC will definitely start as favourites, having never lost to RCB in their four meetings. However, the WPL has been all about tense finishes and tables turning unexpectedly. Given the match winners RCB have at their disposal, DC would make calculative moves in the big finale.
“We’ve seen throughout the tournament that there’s been some crazy cricket, some crazy finishes. So I’m expecting nothing less tomorrow. And we’re coming up against RCB who have played some excellent cricket. They’ve got match-winners, and they’ve shown that they’re able to play some great cricket when they’re under the pump. So what a great challenge for our group to go out there and have to take them on. And I’ve got full confidence that we’ll be able to deliver when we need to,” Lanning said.
Team News: RCB
Reflecting upon the ups and downs RCB have gone through, it’s been a chronicle of great success. But the 1-run defeat against Delhi in their previous encounter had probably jolted them to the core. They bounced back effectively to blow away MI, denying them a chance to defend their title.
The gut-wrenching loss seems to have unearthed the Ellyse Perry we all know. A six-wicket haul to register the best-ever WPL bowling figures and then a pride-saving fifty in the Eliminator has certainly made her the player to watch out for in the finale.
Keeper-batter Richa Ghosh has been equally good with the bat as she has stepped up time and again to team up with Perry and rescue the side whenever the top order perishes early.
The focus will largely be on the young spin duo of Shreyanka Patil and Asha Sobhana who have been the pillars of RCB’s strength. The tensed Eliminator was proof of how they can turn the game their way if dealt with patience and perseverance.
READ MORE: WPL 2024 Eliminator: Mumbai Indians Heartbroken as Royal Challengers Bangalore Turn Fortunes to Storm into Final
“I think the bowler started bowling and we stood up and we got those pushy wickets, definitely the emotions kicked in, but I think whatever was there, I think the whole group was really calm,” Mandhana said in the context of the Eliminator.
While RCB’s men have not won an IPL trophy in the last 14 years, the women have a chance to script history. But far from drawing any parallels, the unit looks to remain focused instead of putting themselves under any added pressure.
“We just were thinking that we’re two seasons into it. Let’s not put so much stress on what happened over the last 15 years. So not really correlating anything with what happened with the men’s. The last 25 days have always been that we are enjoying each other’s company, really focused on the process, and training well. So I think it doesn’t change anything,” Mandhana said.
Probable Playing XI:
Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Shikha Pandey
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Georgia Wareham, Disha Kasat, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Shraddha Pokharkar, Renuka Thakur Singh
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