Delhi Capitals (DC) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, February 17, 2025, 7.30pm Ist
It is a rematch of the final of the last season. After overcoming the league stage in WPL 2024, A DC must have been the possibilities of lifting the trophy. After all, they were playing at home and had a 4-0 record against RCB. However, they hesitated in the final group for the second consecutive season.
Both DC and RCB have started their 2025 campaign with a victory. RCB defeated Gujarat Giants in the first game of the tournament, while DC sealed a victory in the last ball against the Mumbai Indians. But both victories were far from clinics. Persuring 202, RCB needed 79 of the last six overs before Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja took them to the line. Similarly, DC would have lost if it were not for the three contentious decisions of exhaustion.
With a disease in his camp, DC had to enter with a player less abroad in his XI. But if Marizanne Kapp is available, she could replace Niki Prasad. However, finding a place for Jess Jonasen may not be so easy.
Delhi capitals (Probable): 1 Meg Lanning (Capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Alice Capsey, 5 Marizanne Kapp/Niki Prasad, 6 Annabel Sutherland, 7 Sarah Bryce (WK), 8 Shikha Pandey, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Minnu Mani
With Shreyanka Patil discarded from the tournament, RCB has signed Sneh Rana in a similar replacement. Rana could be in action immediately, replacing Prema Rawat in the XI.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Probable): 1 Smriti mandhana (Capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bist, 5 Richa Ghosh (WK), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kim Garth, 10 VJ Joshitha, 11 Renuka Singh
Meg Lanning, which retired from the international Crick, seemed oxidized in the DC opening game. Shabnim Ismail hit her rhythm on multiple occasions and finally threw it for 15 of 19 balls. The Lanning and Shafali Verma opening stalls were the basis of DC’s success in the first two seasons. The team will expect your captain to return to your best moment soon.
Smriti Mandhana does not seem to enjoy, especially at the beginning of his tickets. In the previous match, only two balls against Ashleight Gardner lasted. DC is likely to test it with the same ploy. They have no one but two displaced: Alice Capsey and Minnu Mann. It will be interesting to see Mandhana’s approach.
