With just five teams in the competition and looking at all of their strengths and weaknesses pre-tournament, you'd think that the top two or top three would be a forgone conclusion but ask Mumbai Indians, who made a meal of a 136-run chase to lose their chance to defend the Women's Premier League (WPL) crown. Who would have thought that the strongest team on paper out of all five squads wouldn't be in the final but as the cliche goes, the matches are not played on paper and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had just enough to sneak into the final. The performance in the eliminator summed up RCB's campaign in the 2024 edition of the WPL and now the women stand on the cusp of history, something that the men's franchise hasn't been able to do in 16 seasons thus far.
RCB haven't blown away opponents but have found players at crucial junctures to stand and be counted on to get their team through the line. Look at the eliminator only, a knock of 66 (50) and then a wicket in a four-over spell by Ellyse Perry, that's an individual performance in a knockout that will take your side through to the final nine out of 10 times. However, since the rest of the batters didn't turn up, Perry was alone to do the heavy lifting and somehow got her side to a middling score.
Despite Perry's efforts, RCB needed a Shreyanka Patil to dismiss Harmanpreet Kaur in the 18th over. They needed Sophie Molineux to just be tight and pragmatic in the 19th over and Asha Joy, the veteran, who found herself in the thick of the things, was cool as a cucumber. Asha's attitude has been exceptional as she is ready to be hit, she has gone through the grind in domestic cricket for years and knows what batters would be doing in a certain situation and since the 15th over in her own admission, was waiting for the 20th over to arrive. This was her moment in the sun in front of a roaring 25,000 crowd in the capital. And she delivered.
RCB have found players like her to just do their bit and eventually have found themselves on the right side of the result. And then there's the captain Smriti Mandhana, who has grown leaps and bounds in her role as a leader. Mandhana was judged based on her team's performance in the first season as would anyone. But imagine building a team 20 days before the tournament starts. The inaugural edition was a water-testing one for even the established Indian players given they had to gel with the overseas and fellow Indian players without having a say in the team that was eventually built and the second season has, as expected, has seen all teams grow into their own and Mandhana's leadership has been a prime example of the same.
Against them are the Delhi Capitals, as solid and as sorted a line-up as it could get. Seeing them make the final directly by topping the table for a second season in a row, Mumbai Indians will be ruing how badly they messed up in the eliminator. However, the Capitals have the biggest motivation after faltering at the final hurdle last year, to go all the way. Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey and Marizanne Kapp have been phenomenal throughout the season while the likes of skipper Meg Lanning, Jess Jonassen, Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav have played their parts as it has been a collective effort from the Delhi team once again.
The nerves got the better of them last year in the final but can they do it in front of their home crowd which might not be one-sided if the previous encounter against RCB was any indication? Sunday brings with itself an opportunity for both RCB and DC to do what their men's team couldn't in 16 years in the IPL. Before going into the clash, both teams are well aware that only one will get their hands on the trophy and there could be moist eyes and a lost opportunity for the other. But Sunday also provides hope to RCB and DC and the fans of both franchises to get their shot at the title and till 10 PM IST, they'll be glad for that opportunity before the nerves take over and decide who has the last laugh.
Probable playing XIs
Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Taniyaa Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Minnu Mani
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Smriti Mandhana (C), Sophie Devine, S Meghana/Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Shraddha Pokharkar, Renuka Thakur
