Click it and Unblock the Notifications
RCB-W vs DEL-W injury update, team news, key players
Royal Challengers Bangalore injury update, key players in WPL 2023
Royal Challengers Bangalore women head into the first game with their captain Smriti Mandhana leading the side from the front and has some quality in their batting line that would worry a lot of bowling units.
Mandhana lacks quality opening partner
Among overseas batters, the team has Ellyse Perry, Sophie Divine, Heather Knight while Indian wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh further strengthens the batting order. However, none of them are openers.
The only other recognised opener in their squad is Jharkhand's Indrani Roy, making her automatic pick for the side unless the team management wants to turn any of their middle-order batters into makeshift openers.
Forms of overseas RCB batters worrying
And despite all those star-studded names in the RCB line-up, the recent forms of the likes of Perry, Divine and Knight don't really give much confidence. Perry, who is regarded among the greats of the game, scored just 20 runs in her last three outings at the Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.
Devine had a nightmare of a World Cup as well with 19 runs in four innings, including two ducks. Knight still managed 95 runs during the World Cup but her blowing hot and cold during the event was somewhere decisive in the semifinal exit.
This makes in-form Richa Ghosh's presence important and won't be surprising if the team management pushes her up the order to gain the maximum mileage out of her. Ghosh had a stupendous World Cup with 126 runs to her name while also scoring two half-centuries during the warm-ups.
Kanika Ahuja and Shreyanka Paitl are likely to fight for lower-middle order all-rounders role. They both are spin-bowling all-rounders in the domestic circuit and are capable of hitting big shots in the slog overs.
Star-studded pace battery
Among bowlers, RCB's pace line-up is sorted with Megan Schutt, Renuka Singh and Perry as new-ball options. While Renuka has established herself in the Indian team as the successor of pace legend Jhulan Goswami, Megan Schutt is Australia's strike bowler and took 10 wickets to finish as the second-highest wicket-taker at the T20 World Cup.
No big names among Indian spinners
However, Mandhana will still worry about not having quality Indian spinners among the star-studded pace line-up. Shobana Asha, Poonam Khemnar, Preeti Bose, and Sahana Pawar are among the domestic spinners in the squad and at least one of them will have to take the responsibility of leading the spin charge.
RCB otherwise have two overseas spin options in all-rounders Erin Burns and Dan van Niekerk. 34-year-old Burns has experience of playing franchise cricket in Australia, England, and New Zealand and is another lower-middle-order batting option.
South African Dan van Niekerk also is a handy leg-break bowler and another middle-order option. However, amid an overcrowded middle-order, it's going to be a selection headache for RCB.
Delhi Capitals women injury update, team news
No injuries have been reported from Delhi Capitals camp as well with Australian skipper Meg Lanning taking charge of the side with Jemimah Rodrigues as her deputy.
Shafali, Jemimah likely to open
Delhi Capitals are likely to open with Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma with quality overseas middle-order batter among their ranks. Shafali opened for Indian at the T20 World Cup and U-19 World Cup as well while Jemimah bats at No. 3 for the senior team but has admitted that opening is her favourite spot.
However, J&K cricketer Jasia Akhtar is an opening specialist as well and would be keeping the pressure on the duo for the spot.
The middle-order has a main star in Meg Lanning, who likes to bat at No. 4 and is a crucial seam bowler as well. Alice Capsey or Marizanne Kapp are likely to fight for the No.3 batting position. Both Capsey and Kapp are also decent bowling options with Capsey a spinner and the latter a seamer.
Veteran Oz batter Laura Harris could add further strength to the middle order as she comes to the tournament after a strong showing for Queensland in the domestic circuit.
Taniya Bhatia and Aparna Mondal will be fighting it out for the spot behind the wicket with Bhatia having the advantage of playing international cricket but has lost her place with Richa Ghosh shining.
Delhi Capitals, a strong bowling outfit
Among bowlers, Shikha Pandey, Tara Norris and Arundhati Reddy add to the pace option along with Lanning and Kapp. Norris could also play those big shots down the order.
And with spinners Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, and Australian World Cup-winner Jess Jonassen also in the squad, Delhi Capitals are a bowling unit to watch out for.
RCB-W vs DEL-W Dream11 prediction Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals
Wicketkeeper R Ghosh
Batter M Lanning, H Knight, S Mandhana, J Rodrigues
All-rounder E Perry, S Verma
Bowler M Schutt, S Pandey, P Yadav, R Singh Thakur
Captain and vice-captain choices M Lanning and S Mandhana are in good form and will look to leave their mark in the cash-rich league while likes of R Singh Thakur and M Schutt could make the most out of the early movement provided by the pitch
