"It's not the best place to be around as a team, but the girls have been amazing" - Smriti Mandhana on RCB's morale following rough start to WPL 2023 

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Women's team skipper Smriti Mandhana opened up about the franchise's horrid start to the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL). RCB are still in search of their first win after having lost each of their first four matches so far, and that too by considerable margins.

The side have so far failed to click as a unit and are in a perilous situation in terms of their qualification hopes. After four successive defeats, RCB will more or less have to win each of their remaining matches in the second leg of the tournament.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

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DC v RCB: Game Day Preview

Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine and Mike Hesson speak about the mood and the belief in the camp, and what they’ve done to address the concerns ahead of our must win game.

PS: Smriti has a heartfelt message for all you RCB fans at the end.

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DC v RCB: Game Day Preview

Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine and Mike Hesson speak about the mood and the belief in the camp, and what they’ve done to address the concerns ahead of our must win game.

PS: Smriti has a heartfelt message for all you RCB fans at the end.

#PlayBold https://t.co/4DjlQsJ9II

Ahead of their crucial encounter against the rampant Delhi Capitals (DC) at the DY Patil Stadium, Smriti Mandhana told RCB's YouTube channel:

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"This is the toughest start. after the fourth match we definitely had those hard chats in the dressing room, with the coach and with Mike around. It's not the best place to be around as a team, but the girls have been amazing, the way they have reacted to this, I really did not expect them to be so close together."

Barring Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry, none of the batters have stepped up to the plate. The bowling performances have also been abysmal to say the least. RCB have the worst bowling economy out of all the teams, leading to a net run rate of -2.648 at the halfway mark.

Admitting that the batting and the bowling departments must step up considerably if RCB seeks a turnaround in fortunes, Mandhana said:

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"We have not had the best of starts, can't even say that the batting went well or the bowling went well. We were lacking in both the departments, we have to work and solve the problems. The practice sessions before the games are really important, we spoke to the bowlers, and had one-on-one sessions, where we spoke about how to contribute more."

RCB have tinkered around with their combination as well in search of their first win. Australian pacer Megan Schutt was dropped while emerging Indian all-rounder Shreyanka Patil was integrated into the side.

"In terms of my batting as well, I had to work on a few things" - Smriti Mandhana

Among RCB's woes, the lack of runs from skipper Smriti Mandhana is high up the list. The opening batter has only scored 80 runs in four matches so far, with several suggesting that the captaincy is already taking a toll on her.

Smriti Mandhana

@mandhana_smriti

To new beginnings 🧿
Ready to play Bold

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To new beginnings ✨🧿
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The opposition spinners have spun a web over the left-handed player, with all of her dismissals being against the tweakers so far. Addressing her own form, Mandhana said:

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"In terms of my batting as well, I had to work on a few things to get the team to the best score possible and with bowlers, I think mostly, we had to have that clarity to tell them and maybe focus on these few balls. So, hopefully, we can correct them out."

RCB will take on DC in their fifth match on March 13 at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

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