Smriti Mandhana
Credit: X/@RCBTweets
Bengaluru: For years, ‘swalpa adjust maadi’ was by far the most popular expression of Bengalureans, until ‘ee sala cup namdhe’ came along and replaced it. Both are so well-known that they need no translation.
Nothing defines Royal Challengers Bangalore and their supporters better than the two popular phrases. Their patience might have been put to test every IPL season that has gone by without a title, but the endless hope of a trophy refuses to die, especially among the franchise's huge fan-base.
Having been disappointed by their men's team, they pinned hopes on their women counterparts when the Women's Premier League (WPL) kicked off last year. A star-studded line-up of Indian and foreign women cricketers enhanced their hopes. Two wins out of eight games saw the Smriti Mandhana-led side finish fourth out of five teams in the inaugural season of the event held in Mumbai. Same old story, but have to move on.
With no dearth of talent and star power, the Bengaluru franchise assembled here in the city for a 10-day camp to prepare for the second season of the WPL at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. RCB will be playing five of their eight league games on home turf with their opener being against a well-rounded UP Warriorz team on Saturday.
All eyes will be on skipper Smriti, who struggled to juggle between captaincy and batting in the first edition, as she carries the expectations and burden of turning the team’s fortunes around.
Strong international presence in Australia’s Ellyse Perry, New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk (all pace-bowling all-rounders) will form Mandhana’s frontline attack and defence set-up.
As for the Indians in the side, the pace department will be spearheaded by Renuka Singh while wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh could turn out to be RCB’s secret weapon. The 20-year-old has the power to finish off games or score quick runs and it will be interesting to see how well she executes this role. Young talented Karnataka girls Shreyanka Patil, the breakout star of WPL 1, and Shubha Satheesh, with their fearless attitude, are sure to get the loudest cheers.
On the other side, UPW will walk in knowing that they have twin challenges to overcome - RCB and their supporters. Captain Alyssa Healy, supported by a strong batting line-up, will be focussed on her bowlers and the fielding department to cause trouble for the opponents.
The anticipation for this contest of equals is evident as the tickets for the second game of the WPL were sold out by Wednesday evening.
Now, will it finally be 'ee salary Cup namdhe!' or will the fans be requested to 'swalpa adjust maadi' until next year?