RCB's Strategic Signings for WPL 2026: Veda Krishnamurthy's Insights
Positive Moves for RCB Ahead of WPL 2026
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 7: Veda Krishnamurthy, a former Indian cricketer, has praised the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their acquisition of Radha Yadav, calling it a significant step forward for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season. She emphasized Yadav's impressive T20 performance, exceptional fielding skills, and enhanced batting capabilities.
During her appearance on the JioStar program 'TATA WPL: Know Your Team', Krishnamurthy noted, “Radha Yadav is currently in excellent T20 form. RCB is keen to support her. There were speculations about a trade attempt before the auction, which didn’t materialize, but they successfully secured her during the mega auction. She is among the top fielders, and her batting has seen considerable improvement. If she can refine her bowling and gain confidence under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana, it will be a major boost for her,” she stated.
Radha Yadav, who has represented Delhi Capitals in all previous WPL seasons, will now join RCB, the 2024 champions, for the 2026 season. RCB acquired her for Rs 65 lakh during the WPL 2026 mega auction. Notably, she is only the second Indian woman cricketer to surpass 100 wickets in Women’s T20 Internationals, following Deepti Sharma, with a total of 103 wickets from 89 matches.
Krishnamurthy also discussed RCB's strategic signing of England's Lauren Bell, highlighting her ability to take wickets with the new ball during the powerplay, making her a valuable asset at Rs 90 lakh.
“RCB required a pace bowler capable of claiming wickets early in the innings. Lauren Bell possesses this skill. After missing out on Renuka Singh Thakur, they needed an overseas player for this role. Lauren Bell is an excellent acquisition for RCB and will play a crucial role with the ball,” Krishnamurthy added.
RCB is set to kick off its WPL campaign against the defending champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), on Friday.