3 things RCB men can learn from women's team's WPL 2024 triumph
After 16 years of wait, anticipation, hope, and failures, the moment of ecstasy finally arrived for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) when they lifted their first-ever trophy at the recently concluded WPL 2024.
A remarkable turnaround saw RCB women escalating Delhi Capitals (DC) in a nerve-wracking final on March 17. As if it were destined for the "Red and Gold Army" to end their trophy drought in the franchise's 17th year, on the 17th day of March.
The victory showcased the loyalty of the franchise's fans, who consistently show their support by shouting "Ee Saala Cup Namde" and supporting the team in large numbers.
As captain Smriti Mandhana said, "It's not Ee Saala Cup Namde; it’s Ee Saala Cup... Namdu," fans can now feel the calmness they had been searching for since years.
The WPL triumph for RCB also brought a sense of relief (jubilation, of course) and belief in the franchise that it's not just the women's team who possess the ability to go past the final hurdle, but their male counterparts can replicate the same too.
The men's team's efforts have never been in doubt, considering they managed to reach four finals (including the Champions League), but failed to seize the crucial moments on each occasion.
The RCB men's team may draw inspiration from the women's team's success or use their journey to enhance their trophy hunt in IPL 2024. This article explores potential lessons that the RCB men's team can apply in the IPL 2024 season.
Things RCB men can learn from women's team
#3. Trust in strength
After a dismal performance in WPL 2023, where RCB managed to register only 2 wins with their bowling attack getting smacked all around the park, Mandhana and Co. decided to strengthen their bowling, sacrificing their batting prowess.
This move worked like a charm, as the top 3 wicket-takers of the tournament, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, and Sophie Molineux, were from RCB. They were the best bowling side of the tournament, with an average score of just 22 per wicket against them.
RCB men have assembled a serious pace attack this year, and on a surface like the Chinnaswamy, the pacers might go for plenty, but they should back them just like their female counterparts did in the WPL 2024.
#2. Calmness in the dressing room
We have seen how one or two losses lead to panic in the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp while they make silly mistakes on the ground.
The women's team also suffered some disheartening losses, which put their playoff qualification in jeopardy, but as Ellyse Perry said, they were looking to step on the ground, smiling no matter what the result would be, and supporting each member of their team.
Men's team players often become too focused on playoff qualification, leading to decreased enjoyment and ultimately, losing crucial matches.
RCB men have been known for excessive chopping and changing the playing XI after losses, while the women's team only made changes to their opening combinations, thereby maintaining consistency in their lineup.
#1. Make home a fortress
Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore enjoyed great home support at Chinnaswamy, and that reflected on their performances too as they won 3 out of 5 encounters on home ground.
It was their home performance that gave them enough breathing space in the tournament to stay in playoff contention despite winning only one league match in Delhi.
On the other hand, the men's side has never been able to crack the home code, like the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or Mumbai Indians (MI), to make their home ground a fortress.
It's largely because the dimensions of the ground are too small for the bowlers to contain the batsmen, putting huge pressure on the batting line-up.