Picking a combined RCB and GG playing 11 for WPL 2024 ft. Smriti Mandhana and Ashleigh Gardner
The fifth game of the ongoing second edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will witness a clash between home side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Gujarat Giants (GG) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday, February 27.
RCB are coming on the back of a victory from their first game against the UP Warriorz (UPW). GG, on the other hand, put up a poor show against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their campaign opener and lost the game by five wickets.
In the forthcoming clash, the Smriti Mandhana-led team will be hopeful of continuing their winning momentum, while the Beth Mooney-led side will be hungry to get the first two points and open their account.
RCB’s previous game against the UPW ended in a thrilling affair as the former defended the total to clinch a two-run win. GG had a poor outing with the bat as they were restricted to a below-par total of 126 runs in their 20-over quota against MI.
RCB will hold the upper hand in the upcoming contest, given their recent form and the strength of their players. The hosts have a strong squad for this season, and their players dominate the combined XI of RCB and GG.
On that note, let us look at the combined playing XI of RCB and GG for the fifth game of the WPL 2024.
Top-Order: Beth Mooney, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine
The top-order of this playing XI consists of three experienced campaigners. Opening the batting lineup with Australia’s Beth Mooney and Indian opener Smriti Mandhana would be an ideal choice, given that RCB’s Sophie Devine has experience batting in other positions.
Mooney showed composure in the previous game and tried to save her wicket for as long as possible while losing partners on the other end. Her recent form has been top notch and she’ll be the right fit on top of the order.
Mandhana and Sophie Devine take up the next two spots and round off the top order. Devine would be the first choice in any team’s playing XI, given her experience of playing white-ball cricket and expertise in scoring big runs. Mandhana has been on and off recently, but she can play match-winning knocks on her day.
Middle-Order: Sabbhineni Meghana, Richa Ghosh (wk)
Sabbhineni Meghana proved why she can’t be written off with her knock in RCB’s first game of the season against UPW. When both openers Devine and Mandhana perished quickly, Meghana walked in at No. 3 and scored a terrific half-century, thereby proving her mettle.
Richa Ghosh too was at her best and it was because of her and Meghana that the team reached a defendable total of 157 in 20 overs. While Meghana notched up 53 off 44 deliveries, Ghosh scored 62 in 37 balls to stir the innings.
If they join hands, the two can prove to be a deadly combination in the middle order, and no team would want to miss out on an opportunity to add runs on the board.
All-rounders: Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Shreyanka Patil
One of the finest all-rounders in the sport, RCB getting Ellyse Perry at the inaugural auction was one of the finest deals they cracked. Perry is a captain’s go-to person whenever the team’s in trouble and needs runs or wickets. Her prowess with the bat is as good as her pace.
Ashleigh Gardner is one of the top players in the Australian circuit and a clear match-winner. While she’s a dependable middle-order batter, she’s also a deadly spinner which makes her a stand-out player. Gardner has been in great form for the past couple of years and will be a huge plus to the team.
One of the new names in the circuit is Shreyanka Patil, who bagged an India call-up after noteworthy performances at the inaugural WPL and in the domestic arena. Apart from being a wicket-taking bowler, Patil is also a handy batter down the order.
Bowlers: Asha Sobhana, Tanuja Kanwar, Renuka Singh
Asha Sobhana was at her best in RCB’s recent game as her brilliant five-wicket haul helped the side restrict UPW from chasing the total and winning the game by the barest of margins. After a match-winning spell, she surely is the player to watch out for this season.
Tanuja Kanwar is a pure bowler, but she showcased some fine batting skills in an attempt to pull GG out of trouble in their recent game against MI. Scoring 28 off 21 deliveries, she was her team’s top run-scorer and also picked up two wickets during her four-over spell in the next innings.
Renuka Singh wasn’t at her best last year, but she is one of the finest new-ball bowlers and has frequently picked up crucial wickets in the powerplay to provide the team with early breakthroughs. Given her record, the pacer will play a key role in the initial overs and also rounds up this XI.