3 reasons why RCB-MI could become the biggest rivalry in the WPL
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will lock horns with Mumbai Indians (MI) in tonight's WPL match. The two sides have played one match each in the Women's Premier League so far.
Mumbai Indians are coming off a magnificent victory against the Gujarat Giants (GG). The Harmanpreet Kaur-led outfit posted 207 runs on the board versus GG and then bowled their opponents out for just 64 runs. MI currently hold the number one position in the WPL 2023 points table.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore started their WPL season with a big loss against the Delhi Capitals (DC). The RCB bowlers had a forgettable day in the office as they ended up conceding 223 runs. The RCB batters managed 163 runs in their 20 overs, resulting in a 60-run defeat for the Bangalore-based franchise.
Looking at their performances in their respective first matches of WPL 2023, Mumbai Indians will start as the favorites to win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
While the first-ever WPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore is still a few hours away, here are three reasons why the MI-RCB rivalry could become the biggest one in Women's Premier League history.
#1 Homes of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana in WPL
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Mumbai Indians on top of the WPL 23 points table 🔥🤩
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The biggest reason why the MI-RCB rivalry will attract the most attention is that the two franchises are home to the two biggest names in Indian women's cricket right now. Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur is the skipper of the Indian women's cricket team, whereas Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Smriti Mandhana is the vice-captain of India.
Mandhana and Kaur are among the most-followed sportswomen in India. They have earned millions of fans with their fantastic performances on the field. Fans will witness a clash between India's captain and vice-captain whenever MI and RCB meet in the WPL, making it one of the top rivalries.
#2 Experienced team owners and auction strategists
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RCB: 90/4
📸: WPLT20
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Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore are two of the five teams that have participated in all the Indian Premier League seasons so far. Their team owners have 15 years of experience participating in the world's toughest T20 league.
MI and RCB's team managements have a clear idea about auction strategies, squad formations and utilizing the available resources to perfection. Since their team owners have so much experience, MI and RCB will likely have the strongest squad in the initial WPL season, making their matches a must-watch.
#3 MI vs RCB is already a big rivalry in IPL
The IPL history between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore will also contribute to their rivalry in the Women's Premier League. Over the last 15 years, there have been many memorable clashes between MI and RCB in the Indian Premier League.
Be it AB de Villiers' magnificent hundred, a tied match in IPL 2020, Harshal Patel's hat-trick, Kieron Pollard's fight with Mitchell Starc, MI's win against RCB in the CLT20 final or Suryakumar Yadav's cool celebration, the MI vs. RCB rivalry has given fans many entertaining moments.
It will be interesting to see if the Women's Premier League rivalry between these two franchises matches the level of excitement in the IPL.