"This is what we call a champion performance"- Fans react after Smriti Mandhana's sensational 80 powers RCB to 198 in WPL 2024 clash vs UPW
Fans heaped praise on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana after her magnificent knock of 80 (50). She put up a show against UP Warriorz (UPW) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) on Monday, March 4, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
UPW captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and opted to bowl first in the contest. RCB management promoted Sabbhineni Meghana up the order to partner with Smriti Mandhana as an opener for this game. The duo gave a brisk start with a 51-run partnership in 5.3 overs.
Smriti Mandhana played the aggressor role from the outset by taking calculated risks against the spinners in the powerplay. She continued in the same vein after the field restrictions ended in the six overs and kept finding the boundaries with ease to score runs briskly.
She brought up her second half-century of the season in the process. She looked good for a century after getting a few lucky reprieves due to the poor fielding of UPW players.
However, Mandhana couldn't get to a three-figure score as she perished in the 17th over. Ellyse Perry (58) and Richa Ghish (21*) then provided the finishing touches to take the total to 198/3 in 20 overs.
Smriti Mandhana's aggressive knock against UPW impressed the fans. They lauded her through their reactions on X. Here are some of the top reactions:
"More than the orange cap, I am really happy that we could get 190+"- Smriti Mandhana
During the mid-innings break, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana expressed satisfaction after helping her team score a huge total in the crucial clash against UP Warriorz. Reflecting on the first innings actions, Mandhana said:
"Well I think, when I came into the game, we just wanted to express ourselves irrespective of batting or bowling. More than the orange cap, I am really happy that we could get 190+. We have to now do the job with the ball."
On their strategy with the bat and demoting Sophie Devine down the order from the opening position, Smriti added:
"We really had to watch the ball and go for it, that was the plan. It was a team decision, nothing to do with Sophie. She is an amazing player and we have faith in her. I felt that it would be a great opportunity for her to get some runs in the middle."
During the chase, UPW were 65/2 after seven overs at the time of writing.