DC’s recent victory against MI was just what they needed to overcome any fatigue before their upcoming game. Despite facing a wounded RCB team less than 24 hours later, DC has plenty to celebrate. Not only are they currently leading the table with eight points from six games, but their bowling has also been exceptional in their previous two matches, restricting their opponents to sub-130 totals.
Additionally, DC boasts one of the top fielding units this season, with players like Annabel Sutherland, Minnu Mani and Jemimah Rodrigues showcasing impressive performances in saving runs on the field.
After losing their last three games at home, RCB was most impacted by their defeat against Gujarat Giants, according to captain Smriti Mandhana. As they head into this match, several questions arise: Is Ellyse Perry carrying too much of the batting load?
Do they miss the trio of Asha Sobhana, Sophie Molineux, and Shreyanka Patil in their spin attack, which played a crucial role in their Chinnaswamy performances last year? And is Mandhana’s recent lackluster performance having a significant impact on the team? RCB will need to find answers quickly and give their home fans something to celebrate before they move on to the Lucknow leg for the remainder of the season.
Update on the team’s status
In the previous game, RCB swapped out left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht for legspinner Prema Rawat. However, Rawat only managed to bowl a single over and gave up 19 runs.
Two notable players to keep an eye on are Minnu Mani and Georgia Wareham.
In the game against MI, Minnu Mani gave her all, both on the ball and in the field. After a quiet 12th over, she struck twice in the 17th, dismissing S Sajana and Amelia Kerr. Later on in the 19th over, she took out Sansriti Gupta to end with figures of 3 for 17 from three overs on a slow pitch.
Her exceptional one-handed stop in the 13th over showcased her fielding prowess, proving why she’s considered one of the finest fielders in the league. Despite playing only five matches and bowling just 14 overs, she has managed to pick up five wickets. With this in mind, DC may want to utilize her bowling skills more frequently and allow her to complete her full quota of overs, which has only happened twice this season.
Despite conceding 50 runs in the first match of the season, Georgia Wareham has performed admirably by taking nine wickets in five matches thus far. During the game against Giants, she made two key wicket-taking contributions by dismissing Harleen Deol and top-scorer Ashleigh Gardner, albeit it was slightly delayed. It is worth noting that Georgia has previously played at No. 3 for Australia and even scored a half-century while batting in that position. Should RCB face early setbacks, she could prove to be a valuable middle-order option as a flexible player.
