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Tag: Smriti Mandhana

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‘Title is one thing, but jo dusre No. 18 ne…’: Smriti Mandhana on comparison with Virat Kohli | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clinched their first Women's Premier League (WPL) title by triumphing over Delhi Capitals in a nail-biting final at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium on Sunday.After the final, the RCB skipper engaged in a post-match press conference, during which her pivotal role in securing the title for RCB was juxtaposed with Kohli's tenure at the IPL franchise, evoking discussions on the contrasting fortunes of the superstars.Mandhana and Kohli share the same No. 18 jersey for RCB, and that has sparked heightened excitement among their respective fan bases. This similarity has shifted attention towards speculation surrounding when Kohli will secure his maiden IPL title for the Bangalore-based franchise.Also See: How...
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WATCH: Virat Kohli dances with RCB women’s team after WPL 2024 title victory | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: As the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clinched the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 title on Sunday, the crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium erupted into chants of “Kohli Kohli”.RCB secured their inaugural title by defeating Delhi Capitals with a convincing 8-wicket victory.Also See: How to watch IPL 2024 live in USAFollowing their triumph, the victorious RCB Women's team celebrated by connecting with Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli via a video call to share their joy.In the virtual celebration, Virat was spotted dancing along with the RCB players, creating a jubilant atmosphere despite the physical distance between them.WATCH: "Feeling hasn't still sunk in. Hard for me to come out with expressions. One thing I'll say is I'm proud of the bunch. Our Bangalore leg was rea...
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The nucleus of this RCB side was fantastic: Luke Williams | Cricket News – Times of India

BENGALURU: After avoiding the wooden spoon in the inaugural WPL, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana was given a free hand to ring in changes. An overhaul of the coaching staff followed. At the Hundred in August, the 27-year-old worked with Luke Williams, an Australian with proven credentials in women's franchise cricket. Williams had coached the Adelaide Strikers to victory in the 2022 Women's Big Bash League and was the assistant coach of the 2023 Southern Brave team, winners of the Women's Hundred. By September, Williams had been roped in as head coach. The results are there for all to see.In an exclusive interview with TOI, the Australian spoke of the team's incredible journey. Excerpts...On winning the title:I'm extremely proud. I'm pleased for the people at RCB and their supporters. So mu...
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How Women’s Premier League stepped up a gear in 2024 | Cricket News – Times of India

The second season of WPL grabbed a lot of eyeballs with high-octane batting, sixes galore and last-over finishesNEW DELHI: It was a cathartic moment. When Richa Ghosh hit the winning runs in the final, the entire fan base of Royal Challengers Bangalore must have felt a burden being lifted off their shoulders. After all, the men's team had tried hard for 16 long years to win the IPL, but could not.In between, there was the dash of the Champions League T20 tournament. RCB couldn't win that either.The girls in red and black, however, got the job done in the first final they played. Skipper Smriti Mandhana's eyes were moist, some other players too had tears rolling down their cheeks. It was indeed a big relief and the emotions expressed were strong. RCB's performance was a much-improved sho...
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WPL 2024: Spirited Smriti Mandhana inspires a new generation of champions | Cricket News – Times of India

BENGALURU: As a bespectacled 15-year-old whose talent was being talked about in domestic cricket, Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana had a tough call to make. Cricket or studies? Her mother Smita, sitting in their middle-class dwelling in Madhavnagar, Sangli, had more confidence in her cricketing talent than the gawky teenager. She made the choice for her daughter, she would pursue a career in cricket. It was probably one of the best decisions taken in the Mandhana family. More than a decade later, Smriti is a force to reckon with in her chosen field, an inspiration to a generation which dares to dream and a subject for many books including a 37-pager written by a 13 year old. There is more to the elegant Indian opener than the feat of leading Royal Challengers Bangalore to the WPL title in New ...
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How Smriti Mandhana stopped doubting and started believing in herself as RCB completed title quest

Smriti Mandhana was asked after Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for the playoffs of Women’s Premier League, what her biggest learnings from the two contrasting seasons were. She took a moment, smiled, and said: “I’ll think a lot more deep about this when we finish the tournament.” She did go on to speak more about her struggles last year, mainly with the bat. “In four-five years of international cricket something of that sort hadn’t happened and for me to face that was something which changed me a lot. I don’t know what has changed but something deep inside me has definitely.”A few days later, Smriti Mandhana returned to the press conference room. This time, the trophy was next to her as she became the first RCB captain to lift silverware. Ee sala, the cup was finally theirs. And ...
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What made Smriti Mandhana says ‘Ee Sala Cup Namdu’ after famous WPL triumph

Ee Sala Cup Namde- Every year when the Indian Premier League and more recently, the Women’s Premier League rolls out, this cheer or slogan can be heard around the internet as well as packed stadiums in the country whenever Royal Challengers Bangalore take to the field. It’s the war cry that the RCB faithful have adapted in order to cheer their team in thick and thin. The chant ultimately bore fruit on Sunday when after a long wait, the women’s team of RCB managed to get their hands on the WPL trophy, something that their men’s counterparts haven’t been able to do in 16 tries. What does Ee Sala Cup Namde mean? The viral chant which is in the Kannada language can be loosely translated to “This year the cup will be ours.” Before collecting the WPL trophy, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana change...
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Rajasthan Royals’ Jethalal post leads meme fest as women’s team ends RCB’s 16-year title drought | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: As Smriti Mandhana and Co. clinched their maiden Women's Premier League title on Sunday, blowing away Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets, Royal Challengers Bangalore fans' 16 years of hurt and disappointment finally came to an end.What the men's team could not achieve since 2008 in the Indian Premier League, the women's side did in the second edition of the WPL, landing a trophy in RCB's cabinet.Soon after the RCB's win, social media was buzzing with congratulatory messages for the women's team.The RCB men's team on the other hand, found themselves in the midst of the meme fest with hilarious comparisons being drawn between them and their women counterpart.IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals led the way, trolling the RCB men's team with the Jethalal meme that broke the internet.Other fan...
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WPL Final | Lacked self-belief in pressure situations last year, this season it stayed intact: Smriti Mandhana

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Smriti Mandhana | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Smriti Mandhana's self-belief wavered in pressure situations last year but this season she was able to conquer the demons in her mind when pushed against the wall, helping RCB land their first major title in franchise cricket. Speaking to media after RCB beat Delhi Capitals in a low-scoring WPL final, Mandhana said she has matured as a captain and player since last season. "One thing that I have learned is to believe in yourself. That was something which lacked in me last year when it did go wrong. "I doubted a few things in myself but that was the real conversation with my mind, I need to keep trusting myself and I think that was the biggest learning for me," said Mandhana on Sunday night.The second seas...
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‘I didn’t hear anything he was saying because…’: Smriti Mandhana on speaking to Virat Kohli after RCB’s WPL win | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore Smriti Mandhana disclosed that she was unable to hear anything at all during her video call with India's legendary batsman Virat Kohli, but that he was clearly happy following RCB's victory in the Women's Premier League Season 2.With a masterful effort, RCB defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) by 8 wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to win their first-ever WPL championship.Via a video call, Kohli participated in the post-match festivities following the game and spoke with Mandhana.In the post-match press conference, Mandhana revealed that she couldn't hear a single thing Kohli said to her and she would meet and have a conversation with him in Bangalore."I didn't hear anything he was saying because it was too loud, he was like just thumbs up and...
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RCB win maiden WPL title with an all-round display | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: What the men haven’t been able to do, the women have done! And done with great poise. Finalists in the 2009, 2011 and 2016 Indian Premier League, the Royal Challengers Bangalore men couldn’t clinch the ultimate prize. The RCB women did it in their first Women’s Premier League (WPL) final itself. As Richa Ghosh smashed a length ball from Arundhati Reddy over extra cover for a four, RCB not only won its maiden WPL title but also their first-ever silverware in any competition. As the captain of the side, Smriti Mandhana accomplished what her male counterparts like Anil Kumble (2009 IPL captain), Daniel Vettori (2011 IPL captain) and Virat Kohli (2016 IPL captain) couldn’t do and that’s to lift the winners’ trophy. It was a convincing and professional effort from the girls in red...
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WPL Final: How the wiles of spinners and cool of Ellyse Perry powered RCB to their maiden title

When the powerplay of Delhi Capitals innings was done, the scoreboard read 61/0. It was a whirlwind. The competition’s best partnership – Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma – were off to a flier. Especially the Indian youngster, who was once again showing off her ball-striking ability, stable base with all the focus down the ground. The ball was flying off her bat. She had reached 42 off 21 balls, Lanning was doing her part, playing the second fiddle as she tends to.Then came Sophie Molineux’s 8th over at the end of which 64/0 became 65/3. In the space of four balls – that aptly read out W-0-W-W – the Aussie left-arm spinner dismissed Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey. Three of DC’s most destructive batters, all gone in a hurry. It was the over that changed the direction of t...
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WPL Final: Average start to the tournament, hairline fracture but RCB’s Shreyanka Patil shines like a diamond

The first thing that strikes you about Shreyanka Patil, beyond her excellent skills as a bowler, is the confidence with which she carries herself. It made Ellyse Perry, the greatest allrounder the game has seen, gush about her during the first season of Women’s Premier League.“To see her come out and bat the way that she does, but then obviously her bowling talent…,” Perry gushed. “She’s a real special star for the future. I haven’t seen someone like that of her age around the world for a long time, with that kind of skill and just attitude. So, that’s really cool.” Fast forward a year, and Shreyanka has finished the second season with the Purple Cap as Royal Challengers Bangalore were crowned champions of WPL 2024 on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With figures of 4/12 in the final...
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Spinners, Ellyse Perry hand Royal Challengers Bangalore maiden Women’s Premier League title | Cricket News – Times of India

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories...
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‘I know this is Delhi but…’: Ravi Shastri left amazed as Smriti Mandhana gets huge cheer in WPL 2024 final | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: It is quite apparent in the sport that the home team holds an advantage of having crowd support by their side but it was not the case during the Women's Premier League (WPL) final between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Delhi on Sunday.At the toss, Delhi captain Meg Lanning received a mediocre response from the crowd. On the contrary, the Delhi crowd went crazy when RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana stepped up to have a chat with presenter Ravi Shastri.Also See: WPL Final 2024 Live ScoreSpectators' loud cheers for Mandhana left former India head coach Shastri astonished as he said, "I know this is Delhi but it seems like Bengaluru."Lanning won the toss and opted to bat first in the final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium."We will bat tonight, feel that's the best chance...
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Delhi Capitals take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in WPL 2024 finals

Smriti Mandhana, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Meg Lanning, the captain of Delhi Capitals, pose for photos on the eve of the final Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 on March 16, 2024. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR In-form Delhi Capitals, led by the inspirational Meg Lanning, would hope to be second-time lucky and lift their maiden Women's Premier League title when they take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the summit clash in New Delhi on March 17.After missing out on the title in WPL's inaugural edition last year, losing by seven wickets to Mumbai Indians in the final, DC looked like a rejuvenated side this year.DC have been in superb form this year, topping the five-team league standings with 12 points from eight matches.Meg Lanning has led DC from the ...
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WPL Eliminator: Defending champions Mumbai Indians take on in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore | Cricket News – Times of India

Evenly-matched sides promise exciting EliminatorNEW DELHI: It's time to enter the business end of the second edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL). The league stage is over and only two knockout matches remain - the Eliminator and final. While Delhi Capitals have made it to the decider by finishing on top of the table in the league phase, the next two - Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore - will fight it out in the Eliminator on Friday for a spot in the final.This WPL both teams have won a match each against one another. MI emerged victorious by 7 wickets the first time at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, while RCB returned the favour by the same margin at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.It's quite clear the two teams are matched evenly going into the Eliminator. A lot, t...
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WPL 2024: Smriti Mandhana’s onside game shines in fabulous knock as RCB go third with win over UPW

There have been quite a few positives from the first half of WPL 2024. But perhaps none has been more eye-soothing than Smriti Mandhana’s onside play. It was almost unfair that for the longest time in her career, a batter of her caliber hadn’t fully embraced the leg side. A reservation the RCB captain seems to have left behind in the ongoing WPL season. While her first fifty hadn’t been enough to see through a 195-run chase last week, Mandhana once again took centre stage on Monday, leading RCB to a crucial 28-run win against UP Warriorz midway through the league stage. One that sees them make the top three ahead of the Delhi leg. It was the elegant southpaw who had set the tone. Losing their last two games after winning as many to open their campaign had left RCB vulnerable, Mandhana a...
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Smriti Mandhana finally arrives to the WPL party but RCB fail to execute record-chase against Delhi

Of the few things that the Women’s Premier League missed last year was a signature Smriti Mandhana innings. One of the only two Indian captains – and likely the future Indian captain – underperforming, didn’t sit well. Few batters in world cricket are as soothing to watch as the southpaw and to have her deliver in the wham-bam setting of T20 cricket was always going to be paisa vasool.It took 11 innings but the RCB captain finally arrived at the party on Thursday with a stylish 74. Her free-flowing knock, however, went in vain as Royal Challengers Bangalore lost to the Delhi Capitals by 25 runs, a result which may gnaw them for a while. With 195 to chase down against a resourceful Delhi bowling attack, RCB needed their captain to get going from the start to have any shot at it. She’d do...
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Delhi Capitals brave Smriti Mandhana blitz to beat RCB by 25 runs in WPL | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals secured a hard-fought 25-run victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their Women's Premier League match in Bengaluru on Thursday, overcoming a sensational batting display by Smriti Mandhana.Chasing a challenging target of 195, Mandhana played an outstanding innings, scoring 74 runs off 43 balls (10x4, 3x6). However, other RCB batters couldn't contribute significantly, and the team finished at 169 for nine.Mandhana faced 28 balls in the powerplay segment and hammered 45 runs as the home team reached an impressive 52 for no loss after six overs.Mandhana continued her aggressive ways and smoked Marizanne Kapp (2/35) over mid-wicket for a six. But the veteran South African had the last laugh as she uprooted the off-stump with a slower delivery that bea...