WPL final: Formidable DC meet charged RCB in title clash
The final match of the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) will see Delhi Capitals take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday (March 17). DC have dominated the competition as they reached the final on the virtue of being the table-toppers. RCB, meanwhile, have had a topsy-turvy campaign. They beat defending champions Mumbai Indians in a low-scoring Eliminator. Here is the match preview.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host the title clash on March 17. The track is known to offer substantial assistance to spinners. The Eliminator also took place at this venue which saw MI failing to chase down a paltry 136 against RCB. Sports18 will telecast the match, while JioCinema will allow fans to live-stream it from 7:30pm IST.
Here is the head-to-head record
DC and RCB have met four times in the WPL and the Capitals have come on top on all occasions. The two sides last met in the Match 17 last week. It was a high-scoring thriller as DC prevailed by one run while defending 181. Notably, DC lost the title clash to MI last year and would be raring to get a different result.
Journey of the two teams
As mentioned, DC enjoyed a smooth ride in the league stage, having won six of their eight games. Meg Lanning led the team from the front while other players also stood up. RCB, meanwhile, crawled to the playoffs, having won just four of their eight league games. They, however, showcased remarkable character in the Eliminator and pulled the victory from the jaws of defeat.
A look at the Probable XI of both sides:
DC (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. RCB (Probable XI): Smriti Mandhana (C), Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (WK), Georgia Wareham, Disha Kasat, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Shraddha Pokharkar, Renuka Thakur Singh.
Here are the key performers
With 312 runs, RCB's Ellyse Perry is the leading run-getter of the season. Lanning is not far behind, having slammed 308 runs. Smriti Mandhana (269) and Richa Ghosh (240) have also fared well for RCB with the bat. DC's Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen are the joint-leading wicket-takers of the ongoing season (11 scalps apiece). Sobhana Asha has been RCB's best bowler (10 wickets).
Dream11 Fantasy cricket options
Fantasy XI (Option 1): Richa Ghosh, Meg Lanning (C), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Molineux, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry (VC), Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana. Fantasy XI (Option 2): Richa Ghosh, Smriti Mandhana (VC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey (C), Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur.