RCB vs DC, WPL 2023: 3 records that can be broken in today's WPL 2023 match
Match 2 of the WPL 2023 sees two foundation IPL franchises, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC), make their bow in the tournament. The two teams will go up against each other at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday, March 5, in the first doubleheader of the season.
While RCB are led by Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, the DC ship will be shepherded by multiple World Cup-winning Australian captain Meg Lanning.
There is no dearth of star quotient across the two sides, and if anything, the stage is set for a blockbuster afternoon in Mumbai. What adds to another layer of intrigue is that we could see some records being rewritten in this WPL 2023 clash. Here's a look at three of those:
#1 First century of the WPL
Happy birthday to the world number 1 T20 batter in ICC ranking - Shafali Verma.
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It's still early days and we've only witnessed one game in WPL 2023. Yet, if history is anything to go by, the Brabourne Stadium could well be the venue that sees the league's first-ever century.
After all, the track is known to be a dream for a batter, and with short boundary dimensions also being a factor, it is the ideal venue for a batter to get in and make it count. Cast your eyes across the rosters of RCB and DC and there is a superstar quotient aplenty with the bat.
From Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues at the Capitals to Mandhana and Sophie Devine at the Challengers. Who's to say we won't see the first century of the league on Sunday, eh?
#2 Sophie Devine set to become the first woman to play 175 league games
White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine is a stalwart of the game and that is stating the obvious. Having plied her trade across T20 leagues around the globe, she is expected to make her bow in WPL 2023 for RCB when they take on DC on Sunday.
Devine is the most capped player on the women's circuit as far as T20 leagues around the world are concerned. She holds the record of having scored the most runs across all women's T20 leagues, being the only player to have tallied in excess of 5000 runs to date.
Sunday will see her add another feather to her cap, as it is set to mark her 175th game in the T20 leagues, making her the first woman to achieve the landmark.
#3 Dane van Niekerk could become the third South African to score 2000 runs in women's T20 leagues
After her controversial omission from South Africa's Women's T20 World Cup squad, former captain Dane van Niekerk will look to make a statement in WPL 2023.
She could make her bow in the league on Sunday and could also get going with a milestone against her name. Van Niekerk needs just 34 runs to get to the landmark of 2000 runs in T20 leagues around the world.
Only two other South African women - Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee - have breached that landmark to date. Van Niekerk has been a prolific all-rounder in leagues around the globe and she could join this list if she features in the RCB XI against DC.
Which team between RCB and DC starts as favorites for their WPL 2023 clash? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: WPL 2023: Predicting 3 players who will take most wickets in RCB vs DC match