WPL Final Preview: A new title holder awaits their coveted trophy

Royal Challengers Bangalore is that caffeine shot you desperately need in the morning after a 3 AM party. You know the bourbon you gulped might get you down and out, but the fact that one caffeine burst will be good to clear those office errands, and the whole day could suffice for the hangover. That has been their story in the Women’s Premier League 2024.

They started with the baggage of having faced a premature exit in WPL 2023. They finished fourth, and people started drawing parallels with their gender counterparts’ plight over the years. This time around they showed promise, promise of a comeback, and turned the M Chinnaswamy Stadium into a cricketing Tomorrowland for Bangaloreans.

They unleashed mayhem with consecutive wins against UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants at their den. The purple patch was no longer to stay, as Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians humbled them before a roaring Bangalore crowd. While they won against UP again, DC proved a tough nut to crack. Coincidently they are facing their most daunting challenge against the same team in the Final.

Delhi Capitals have been a lawn mower on cricket turf this WPL. They have been outright, paradoxical, and anti-totalitarian in their approach this season. DC has lost just two games and is perched atop the table. Something just irked them when they lost their opening game against MI on the last ball. It was indeed a ‘hold my beer’ statement before they took the remaining teams to the cleaners.

Meg Lanning has just said that, after retiring from international cricket she feels light now. Looking at her butchering the bowlers this season while opening, the woman will be armored to kill in the Final. Jemimah Rodrigues has been phenomenal with her valuable fifties, Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen are among the wickets, and last but not the least they have their home support at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

Pitch Report:

Do not let the Eliminator’s scorecard deceive you with the behavior of the pitch. Though it has assisted bowlers, it is still the batter’s darling. However, the pace of the pitch is something that could vary as the match progresses and spinners come into play. The par score could well be around 150-160. The weather gods will spare the renowned Kotla on the match day. A warm evening with no rain interruptions and a comprehensive T20 spectacle is on the cards.

Delhi Capitals Probable XI:

Delhi Capitals could go wrong in just one aspect heading into the Final, that is if they scratch their heads over maneuvering with their playing XI. The only window of change would be bringing back Annabel Sutherland. But, looking at how Kapp has been spitting fire, expect zero changes in their squad.

Probable XI: Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Minnu Mani.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Probable XI:

RCB can provide Ellyse Perry with a permanent residence in Bangalore. She has sailed their boat out of troubled waters for the umpteenth time this season. Shreyanka Patil has been mercurial with her bowling and Sophie Molineux needs to hit a spa soon after delivering those nerve-wracking final overs. RCB might stick to their working XI and expect similar performances from their key players.

Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Shradda Pokharkar, Renuka Singh