"I did not expect that the campaign will go this way" - Smriti Mandhana assesses RCB's dismal WPL 2023 season
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana admitted that she did not anticipate the franchise's fourth-placed finish in the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) season.
The franchise lost its first five matches before notching two successive wins. RCB ended their campaign with a loss against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday, March 21.
They made all the headlines during the inaugural auctions following their acquisitions of high-profile players like Mandhana and Ellyse Perry. However, the tournament did not pan out quite as hoped for the side.
A season of learnings and new beginnings. Smriti, Perry, Mike, Shreyanka, Asha, Ben and Schutt express their emotions after a tough but memorable inaugural edition of #WPL.
#PlayBold #SheIsBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #WPL2023 https://t.co/NctIeMfzDg
Expecting the team to come back much stronger for the second season of the WPL, Smriti Mandhana said on RCB Match Day:
"The kind of team we have, and the kind of balance that we have, I did not expect that the campaign will go this way. At this moment, you feel a lot of things, like what we could have done better.
"Definitely sad that we could not make it to the top three, but I think it's the first season and there are a lot of things to work on as a player and as a team, and as a captain. I'm sure we will go back and comeback harder and stronger."
RCB finished the season with four points to their name with a poor net run rate of -1.137. They made a strong impression in the latter half of the tournament, especially in their win over the Gujarat Giants (GG), but by then, their qualification hopes were dangling by a thread.
Mandhana further elaborated by explaining how the team has a better chance of bouncing back now that they have seen what can go wrong. She continued:
"We now know what can go wrong. Now that we know that, I think we will be much prepared next year. The whole setup stuck together even though we lost the first five matches, and I think that was the biggest takeaway."
Heaping praise on the camaraderie among the teammates despite the team's misfortune on the team, she added:
"We could not go out there and do our best on the field, but I feel off the field our environment was amazing in terms of all the girls coming together and caring for each other and that is a sign of a good team for me."
"I have to take that into account as well" - Smriti Mandhana admits her own form played a huge part in RCB's poor season
Expectations were high for the India opener after she became the most expensive acquisition at WPL auctions.
She fetched the maximum bid of ₹3.4 crore, following an intense bidding war between RCB and MI to kick start the proceedings on the auction floor.
However, the left-handed batter had a tournament to forget after she scored only 149 runs across eight matches at an average of 18.62.
Last week has been tough on this team but really proud the way girls have fought hard to get the first win on board ✨💫 https://t.co/j5r24ba8LQ
Shedding light on the things that went wrong for RCB over the course of the campaign, Mandhana said:
"In the first four-five matches, we did struggle with our bowling a little bit, and my form also was not great in the tournament, so I have to take that into account as well. Batting first, we were not able to do our best, so we do know the areas that we have to work on."
Will RCB return as a stronger unit in the next edition of WPL 2023? Let us know what you think.