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A Heartbroken Smriti Mandhana Speaks After RCB's Fifth Consecutive WPL Defeat


image-lf7tzqieRCB have lost five out of five in the WPL 2023 [Source: Twitter]

Smriti Mandhana led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), suffered their fifth consecutive loss in Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 to the Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets.

The match, held at DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Monday, saw RCB struggling in the initial 14 overs of their innings, where they managed to score only 68 runs at a run rate of 4.85 while losing three crucial wickets of Mandhana, Sophie Devine, and Heather Knight.

The RCB team staged a recovery by means of an essential partnership between Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh, who together accumulated 74 runs off 34 deliveries, propelling their team to a challenging total of 150 while losing four wickets. 

While DC had some trouble in their run-chase, they eventually emerged victorious, securing the win with two balls to spare.

In the post-match presentation, Mandhana lauded the efforts of her bowlers, who fought till the very end. She acknowledged areas where the team needed to improve but highlighted the positives and the work needed.

The dynamic opener stated that the bowlers' performance in persevering until the 20th over was commendable. However, she acknowledged that there were numerous areas for improvement and plenty of work to be done to enhance the team's overall performance.

The southpaw also praised Perry and Ghosh for their partnership, which brought their team back into the game. 

However, the RCB captain was critical of her own batting performance, expressing disappointment with her eight-run contribution off 15 balls before being removed by Shikha Pandey. 

She also lamented the team's slow start, with the initial 14 overs hurting them. The 23-year-old believed 10-15 more runs in that phase could have impacted the match's outcome.

“It was not the best of starts, including my batting. The first 14 overs did really hurt us. 10-15 runs more there would have helped,” said the RCB skipper.

Finally, Mandhana remarked on the changing nature of the pitch, with the number of matches being played at the venue. She predicted that the wickets would get slower towards the end of the tournament, highlighting the need for teams to adapt their strategies accordingly.