[In Pictures] Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and couple of other Indian woman team cricketers attend RCB vs CSK IPL 2024 clash
Indian women's team cricketers Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shreyanka Patil, and Asha Sobhana attended the IPL 2024 match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The Chinnaswamy Stadium is hosting the clash tonight (Saturday, May 18). It's a highly anticipated match for IPL fans across the globe as it will decide the fourth entrant into the playoffs this season.
CSK are currently in the fourth position in the points table with 14 points from 13 games. A simple win or a loss with less margin or a washout will ensure their advancement to the playoffs. Their opponents, RCB, have to secure a victory by a decent margin to reach the knock-out stage.
Given the importance of the match between the two popular IPL franchises, it is housefull at the stadium on Saturday. Smriti Mandhana, who won the WPL 2024 trophy by leading the RCB side, also reached Bengaluru to support her franchise. She was accompanied by a couple of other Indian women's cricket team players - Jemimah Rodrigues, Shreyanka Patil, and Asha Sobhana.
Smriti took to her official Instagram handle and shared a picture while sporting an RCB jersey in her story. You can watch it below:
Shreyanka Patil also shared a group photo with her teammates at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. You can get a glimpse of it below:
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won toss and invited RCB to bat first in the contest
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad had poor luck with the toss till today, winning only twice in 13 games. However, he won it in a must-win game against RCB, which might be crucial in the case of dew in the second innings. He chose to bowl first, a popular choice at the venue.
Royal Challengers captain Faf du Plessis had no issues batting first as they performed well in their previous games in Bengaluru while setting a target. He said:
"I lost a toss couple of days ago and we put on a good show. We have to do the same. Winning the toss isn't a big deal. We have to put on a good show and we have taken a lot of confidence in the last five games.
"Yes, it sets up nicely for us. Two good teams and one goes through. It's a great occasion tonight and for us, it's special to play our last game in Bengaluru, We have gone through everything and focussed on the brand of cricket we wanted to play."
Who will win tonight's match? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.