RCB captain Smriti Mandhana took responsibility for the team’s poor batting performance as they suffered their fourth consecutive loss in the Women’s Premier League on Friday. After electing to bat first, RCB were dismissed for just 138 runs and UP Warriorz chased down the target with 42 balls to spare, winning the match by 10 wickets at the Brabourne Stadium. The defeat has severely impacted RCB’s chances of progressing further in the tournament.

Stay strong, captain! Let’s turn it around. _#PlayBold #____RCB #SheIsBold #WPL2023 pic.twitter.com/LRvv9pXaAi
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 10, 2023

“I think in the last four games, it has been happening. We start well and we lose a cluster of wickets. I will take the blame as well. As a top order batter, we need to put up runs on the board for the bowlers to defend,” Mandhana said after the game.

With a fantastic unbeaten knock of 96 runs off just 47 balls by skipper Alyssa Healy, UP Warriorz secured their second victory in the Women’s Premier League. This remarkable performance followed the effective bowling spells from Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma, who took wickets at regular intervals to restrict RCB to a meager total. Despite Ellyse Perry’s valiant innings of 52 runs off 39 balls, RCB were ultimately bowled out. On the plans in the middle overs, Mandhana said, “We spoke about it before this match that we will try to take 7-8 runs per over but it did not work out today. As top-order batters, we need to bat well and put up a good total to defend. We don’t have injuries.

“We are trying to get a balanced team that can win us a game. I have tried to speak to almost all the players, pep them up and I have to keep doing it. Last week has been tough. Lots to reflect and lots to work on.”

The India vice-captain added, “A lot of people have reached out to me and as an international cricketer, we have faced these situations before. I have my family around me always but I always believe that you have to sit by yourself and rectify your mistakes.”

Healy and her opening partner Devika Vaidya (36 not out off 31 balls) meant business from the get-go, with the latter playing a perfect second fiddle to the aggressive Australian while also maintaining a strike rate of over run a ball.

Healy said it was “phenomenal” to keep RCB under 140 on such a track and praised her spinners for their wonderful display with the ball.

“I was really pleased with the bowlers. Before the game, I thought if we could keep them to under 200, it would be great. To keep a batting unit like that to a score under 140 was phenomenal,” Healy said. Seasoned English left-arm spinner Ecclestone finished with incredible figures of 4/13 in her full quota of four overs, while Deepti ended with 3/26. “It was spin to win tonight. It is still a good batting wicket but our spinners bowled well in partnerships. Anjali held her nerve too. Our bowlers executed really well tonight. Devika came into the top of the order and just showed her class.

“During the series we played against India, I thought what she was doing so low down the order. We just set the platform early. We got off to a really good start. “At the time-out, we discussed about not dragging it out until the final over. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. Today it did and I am really happy about that,” Healy added.