WPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore's strongest predicted playing XI against UP Warriorz

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be eyeing a reversal of fortunes in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024. Especially after a poor showing in the inaugural 2023 season, when it ended second from the bottom with two victories in eight matches.

RCB will play their first match at home at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, February 24 against the UP Warriorz. While Smriti takes the duty of leading from the front, Heather Knight's departure brings Nadine de Klerk in as a replacement, bringing her explosive prowess to the team. 

Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, and Shreyanka Patil round out the roster, making it well-rounded and formidable.

Here is the Royal Challengers Bangalore's strongest predicted playing XI:

Openers: Sophie Devine and Smriti Mandhana

New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and skipper Smriti Mandhana are expected to open the innings in their tournament opener on Saturday. The explosive Kiwi all-rounder scored an incredible 266 runs in 8 innings the previous season. Devine's explosive batting and her ability to contribute with both bat and ball make her an invaluable asset and vice-captain of this powerful XI.

Smriti Mandhana will have to shoulder the RCB batting once more. Known for her bold approach since her international debut in 2013, the southpaw has also shown herself in T20Is, scoring some impressive runs. She has the second-most fifties in Women's T20 Internationals and has played for some prominent teams outside of India. An unimpressive previous season will not let down her confidence, as the Sangli girl will be looking forward to start afresh this season.

Middle Order: Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh (wk)

Disha Kasat is a top-order batter and a part-time off-spinner and hails from Amravati in Maharashtra. She did feature for RCB previously, but just like the franchise, her performances were also not up to the mark. In 2023, she played three innings, she scored 11 runs including a duck, but a fresh season means she will be excited to contribute better with the bat and stay true to the faith reaped in her by the Bengaluru-based franchise.

Next up will be Richa Ghosh, who is currently the most dynamic wicketkeeper India have. Part of India’s U-19 World Cup winning team, Ghosh has become the go-to keeper-batter for the Women in Blue. She had a mixed WPL 2023, hitting 138 runs in 8 innings, but her glovework was praiseworthy. Thus, Ghosh would like to continue making that impact with the bat and behind the stumps.

All-rounders: Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil

Ellyse Perry is one of the most popular all-rounders and for all the right reasons. Perry’s impactful performances included 253 runs and eight wickets in 8 innings in the last WPL 2023. She will be expected to be the pillar along with Mandhana of the RCB batting unit. With the ball, she will be expected to support the main bowling line-up.

Shreyanka is considered one of the best-emerging cricketers in domestic cricket. She is handy with both the bat and the ball. She scored 62 runs and took 6 wickets in WPL 2023 in her debut season. Since then, she has represented India in T20Is and ODIs as well. In 6 T20Is, Patil has 8 wickets to her name, and her best bowling spell is 3/18 which came against Australia.

Bowlers: Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Simran Bahadur, Ekta Bisht, Renuka Singh

Georgia Wareham has made a name for herself in the T20 arena with accurate leg-spin bowling and economical spells. The Australia cricketer represented Gujarat Giants in the 2023 edition, but was released ahead of the auction, and that is where RCB have roped her services. Her handy batting abilities are also proven as she boasts a strike-rate of 145 in the shortest format of the game. 

Wareham will be headed by Ekta Bisht in the spin department. The 38-year-old is one of the most experienced players in the Bangalore squad. She has 53 wickets in 42 T20Is for India and will be making her WPL debut this season. Her ability to bowl in the air might assist her at Chinnaswamy, where scoring runs against spinners hasn't been tough historically.

Moving from spin, the pace unit will be helmed by Simran Bahadur for the starters. Having bagged only one wicket in six T20Is she has played, she will definitely be eyeing to put up impressive performances in her debut season in the marquee league.

Renuka Singh Thakur is another Indian pacer who will be a part of RCB's roster. She had a forgettable edition for the franchise in 2023, but her international records speak for herself. She has bagged 39 wickets in 38 games so far with a decent average, which came at a fair economy rate.

Last but not the least, England’s Kate Cross is a name that will be catching a lot of eyeballs, as she brings along a plethora of experience from international and league games as well. Her vast experience of playing in The Hundred and Big Bash League will be helpful to add depth to RCB's bowling unit.

Here is the Royal Challengers Bangalore's strongest predicted playing XI against UP Warriorz:

Sophie Devine, Smriti Mandhana (C), Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh (wk), Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Shreyanka Patil, Simran Bahadur, Ekta Bisht, Renuka Singh