Asha Shobana’s exceptional five-wicket haul emerged as the pivotal moment as Royal Challengers Bangalore stormed to a scintillating start in the Women’s Premier League 2024. The leg-spinner’s astounding figures of 5 for 22, complemented by the superb batting displays of S Meghana and Richa Ghosh, who both notched up impressive half-centuries, propelled RCB to a breathtaking two-run triumph over UP Warriorz in a nail-biting encounter at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
RCB’s big three depart early
The home team faced early setbacks as they took to the crease, with three of their star batters – Sophie Devine, Smriti Mandhana, and Ellyse Perry – departing swiftly without making a significant impact. Warriorz Skipper Alyssa Healy tossed the ball to off-spinner Grace Harris and she responded in style as contained Mandhana and Devine’s onslaught before dismissing Devine lbw for just 1 run in the third over.
Mandhana tried to take charge against Tahlia McGrath in the second over but eventually miscued a pull shot to short fine leg in the 6th over. Shortly after the powerplay, Perry fell victim to Sophie Ecclestone’s bowling, sending a shot straight into the hands of the fielder at cover.
Meghana and Ghosh Shine with the Bat
S Meghana launched an aggressive assault on Harris early in the innings, capitalizing on a dropped catch to hit three boundaries in the fifth over, injecting much-needed energy into the team’s performance. Thanks to Meghana’s efforts, RCB managed to score 41 runs during the powerplay.
However, until the 13th over, both she and her partner at the crease, Richa Ghosh, who had progressed to a run-a-ball 16, were restrained. Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sophie Ecclestone, and Saima Thakor delivered several tight overs during the middle phase of the innings, effectively keeping the batters in check.
Nonetheless, the match’s tide turned in the hosts’ favor for the first time when Ghosh unleashed her fury against Rajeshwari Gayakwad in the 13th over, and then intensified her attack on Saima Thakor by hitting four boundaries in the pacer’s second over. This onslaught shifted the momentum towards the hosts.
Meghana and Ghosh’s Fifty Propels RCB
Meghana notched up her half-century with a single at the start of the over, and Ghosh capped the over with a boundary that celebrated the duo’s fifty-run partnership. Together, they contributed 71 runs for the fourth wicket in just 50 deliveries. However, Meghana’s innings came to an abrupt end when she was lured out of her crease by a Gayakwad’s delivery and subsequently stumped by Alyssa Healy.
In the 18th over, Ghosh unleashed more madness smashing three consecutive boundaries off McGrath, injecting further momentum into the innings. However, UP Warriorz managed to claw back, claiming the wicket of Richa Ghosh. Sophie Molineux, despite attempting several ambitious slogs, failed to breach the boundary during her nine-ball stint at the crease. Shreyanka Patil, on the other hand, concluded the innings with a flourish, dispatching Eccelstone for a six.
Asha Shobana’s Five-Wicket Haul Steals the Show
The visitors experienced a somewhat mixed beginning, finding themselves under pressure from Renuka Thakur’s tight bowling. Alyssa Healy initially succeeded in taking on Molineux, securing a boundary early on. However, the left-arm spinner, quickly turned the tables, outsmarting her Australian counterpart and dismantling her stumps with the following delivery.
Vrinda Dinesh showed early promise with the bat but found herself contained by the spinners shortly after. Her innings was cut short when she was deceived by Asha’s ball, stepping out of her crease only to be stumped. In the same over, Asha struck again, delivering a full and rapid delivery that shattered McGrath’s defense, sending her stumps flying. Despite benefiting from a couple of dropped catches, courtesy of Shreyanka and Simran Bahadur, the visitors found themselves struggling at 49 for 3 in 8.3 overs.
From there Grace Harris and Shweta Sehrawat stitched a valuable partnership leading the fightback for the Warriorz. In the 17th over, UP Warriorz required 32 runs from 24 balls, with both the batters well-set, having stitched together a partnership of 77 runs off just 45 deliveries. However, in a crucial over, Asha, bowling her final over, delivered a turning point. She tempted Sehrawat with a flighted delivery, resulting in Sehrawat driving the ball straight to Smriti Mandhana at extra cover.
UP Warriorz’ Brave Fight Falls Just Short
The following delivery saw Kiran Navgire given out leg-before-wicket, only for the decision to be overturned upon review. The over’s pivotal moment came when Harris, attempting a sweep, missed the ball completely and was bowled, dealing a significant blow to UP Warriorz’s chase. However, Navgire’s reprieve was short-lived as she failed to connect with a flat delivery from Asha, being stumped in the process.
Poonam Khemnar and Deepti Sharma seized control in the 17th over, capitalizing on Shreyanka Patil’s bowling to strike three boundaries. Khemnar continued the assault against Georgia Wareham in the following over, reducing the target to 11 runs from the last 9 balls. However, their momentum faltered as they neared the finish line. Khemnar was bowled through her defenses, and although Sophie Ecclestone was trapped leg-before-wicket, she survived as RCB had no review left to challenge the decision.
In the final over bowled by Sophie Molineux, both Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma struggled to score, with the equation narrowing down to nine runs needed from two balls. However, Deepti managed to relieve some pressure by pulling a delivery for a boundary through the deep midwicket region. With the match on a knife’s edge, Deepti attempted a big shot off the last delivery but could only muster two runs, falling short of the required target.
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