<p>Bengaluru: Smarting from two successive defeats, the second a Super-Over heartbreak, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be looking to resurrect their faltering campaign as they take on an equally beleaguered <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/gujarat-giants">Gujarat Giants</a> in the Women’s Premier League return clash on Thursday.</p>.<p>Having looked very much like the side that rode their way to title triumph in the opening two games, the Royal Challengers came crashing down to the ground over the next two, stunningly at their own bastion — the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/m-chinnaswamy-stadium">M Chinnaswamy Stadium</a> — largely due to erratic bowling.</p>.<p>Although there is no real immediate threat to their play-off hopes with current leaders Delhi Capitals just two points above them, the defending champions would be desperate to arrest the slide because one more slip-up has a potential to derail their campaign as momentum is a key driver in such crisp tournaments, especially heading towards the business end.</p>.RCB pick Charlie Dean as replacement for injured Sophie Molineux for Women's Premier League.<p>For the Royal Challengers to bounce back, they really need to address their bowling woes. Frontline pacers Renuka Singh and Kim Grath have been off the mark, going at 7.43 and 7.93 runs per over respectively. Renuka, who had to defend 18 runs in the final over against UP Warriorz in their previous game, bungled against Sophie Ecclestone, the English batter creaming two sixes and a four to push the contest into a Super Over which RCB lost. </p>.<p>The spinners Georgia Wareham (9.06), Ekta Bisht (9.04) and Kanika Ahuja (8.57) have fared even worse, leaking a lot of runs in the crucial middle overs. Veteran spinner Sneh Rana, who made her RCB debut against UP, exhibited her wicket-taking abilities with three scalps but in the bargain she too went for runs.</p>.<p>Smriti Mandhana has struggled to find someone who can contain the damage and although the skipper didn’t castigate anyone for the defeat against UP, deep inside she knows her bowlers really need to step up and deliver because the options beyond are limited.</p>.<p>Gujarat is probably the opponent against whom RCB will be eager to get back on track. The bottom-dwellers have lost three out of four games with nothing really clicking for them this edition. More than the defeats, it’s the manner in which they’ve lost that’s concerning with all of them being pastings, including the one RCB inflicted on them in the opening bout. They’ll be gunning for redemption on Thursday.</p>.<p>RCB’s batting, especially the top-order comprising Mandhana, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Ellyse Perry, has been in sparkling form while middle-order driver Richa Ghosh has good too. It’s their bowlers who have fluffed the lines and the team will be hoping it falls back on order against Gujarat.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Smarting from two successive defeats, the second a Super-Over heartbreak, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be looking to resurrect their faltering campaign as they take on an equally beleaguered <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/gujarat-giants">Gujarat Giants</a> in the Women’s Premier League return clash on Thursday.</p>.<p>Having looked very much like the side that rode their way to title triumph in the opening two games, the Royal Challengers came crashing down to the ground over the next two, stunningly at their own bastion — the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/m-chinnaswamy-stadium">M Chinnaswamy Stadium</a> — largely due to erratic bowling.</p>.<p>Although there is no real immediate threat to their play-off hopes with current leaders Delhi Capitals just two points above them, the defending champions would be desperate to arrest the slide because one more slip-up has a potential to derail their campaign as momentum is a key driver in such crisp tournaments, especially heading towards the business end.</p>.RCB pick Charlie Dean as replacement for injured Sophie Molineux for Women's Premier League.<p>For the Royal Challengers to bounce back, they really need to address their bowling woes. Frontline pacers Renuka Singh and Kim Grath have been off the mark, going at 7.43 and 7.93 runs per over respectively. Renuka, who had to defend 18 runs in the final over against UP Warriorz in their previous game, bungled against Sophie Ecclestone, the English batter creaming two sixes and a four to push the contest into a Super Over which RCB lost. </p>.<p>The spinners Georgia Wareham (9.06), Ekta Bisht (9.04) and Kanika Ahuja (8.57) have fared even worse, leaking a lot of runs in the crucial middle overs. Veteran spinner Sneh Rana, who made her RCB debut against UP, exhibited her wicket-taking abilities with three scalps but in the bargain she too went for runs.</p>.<p>Smriti Mandhana has struggled to find someone who can contain the damage and although the skipper didn’t castigate anyone for the defeat against UP, deep inside she knows her bowlers really need to step up and deliver because the options beyond are limited.</p>.<p>Gujarat is probably the opponent against whom RCB will be eager to get back on track. The bottom-dwellers have lost three out of four games with nothing really clicking for them this edition. More than the defeats, it’s the manner in which they’ve lost that’s concerning with all of them being pastings, including the one RCB inflicted on them in the opening bout. They’ll be gunning for redemption on Thursday.</p>.<p>RCB’s batting, especially the top-order comprising Mandhana, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Ellyse Perry, has been in sparkling form while middle-order driver Richa Ghosh has good too. It’s their bowlers who have fluffed the lines and the team will be hoping it falls back on order against Gujarat.</p>