Smriti Mandhana Celebrates RCB's WPL Triumph with Key Players Bell and Voll
Mandhana Praises Match-Winners Bell and Voll
After leading her team to victory in the Women's Premier League (WPL) for the second time, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana expressed her admiration for pacer Lauren Bell and batter Georgia Voll, who played crucial roles in the final. Mandhana had a premonition that Voll would deliver a standout performance in the championship match. The duo formed a remarkable partnership, scoring 165 runs together, which propelled RCB to their second WPL title by successfully chasing down a target of 204 runs, despite facing some challenges towards the end.
During the post-match presentation, Mandhana highlighted Bell's impressive economy rate of just over four runs in a high-scoring game, stating, "In the last few overs, we bowled well. Credit to Bell - 400 in a match, and she goes for 20-odd runs. That's a match-winning spell."
Bell made a significant impact in her WPL debut, finishing as RCB's second-highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets at an average of 16.58 and an economy rate of 5.52, effectively restricting the opposition batters throughout the tournament.
Regarding Voll, who had previously scored only 37 runs in four innings after a solid debut performance of 54*, Mandhana remarked, "Voll led the way. She had almost all the strike in the powerplay and her intent was spot on. I had a feeling she would get a match-winning knock in the final. She has been practicing a little extra in the past few days. Happy that it paid off for her."
'For the Fans': Mandhana on RCB's Belief and Support
As a two-time WPL champion captain, Smriti praised RCB's fans, calling them the "best in the world." She noted, "Wherever we play, we get support. Whatever we do is for them. Three titles (including IPL) in three years for the franchise, it is amazing."
Mandhana acknowledged the favorable batting conditions and credited the support staff for clearly defining roles for each player. "Girls are working extremely hard, and that is one thing that boosts your belief. When you have that belief, to chase down any score...once that happens, we felt really confident that we could chase it down," she emphasized, reflecting on the optimism and confidence within the team.
"I said this in 2024, and will say it again, 'Ee Sala Cup Namdu' (This year cup is ours)," she concluded.
Match Summary: RCB's Record Chase
In the match, RCB won the toss and chose to bowl first. Lizelle Lee scored 37 runs off 30 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes, while Shafali Verma contributed 20 runs off 13 balls with three fours, giving their team a strong start. A 76-run partnership for the third wicket between Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored 57 runs off 37 balls with eight fours, and Laura Wolvaardt, who added 44 runs off 35 balls with three fours and two sixes, helped stabilize the innings. Just when RCB seemed to regain control, Chinelle Henry's explosive 35* off 15 balls, featuring four boundaries and two sixes, propelled DC to a total of 203/4 in 20 overs, the highest score in a WPL final.
In response, RCB lost Grace Harris early for 8 runs, but a remarkable 165-run partnership between Smriti (87 runs off 41 balls, including 12 fours and three sixes) and Georgia Voll (79 runs off 54 balls, with 14 fours) significantly diminished DC's chances. Although DC managed to take three quick wickets in the final overs, Radha Yadav (12*) and Nadine de Klerk (7*) successfully chased down the target with six wickets remaining and two balls to spare.
Mandhana was awarded the 'Player of the Match' title.