Skipper Smriti Mandhana emphasizes the importance of a strong bowling side for winning competitions

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team expertly balanced their squad with strategic player acquisitions during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 player auction in Mumbai on Saturday. The team’s seven strategic bids to complete their squad for the upcoming season were a result of meticulous planning by the backroom staff, including head coach Luke Williams and assistant head coach and head of scouting Malolan Rangarajan, with valuable tactical advice from captain Smriti Mandhana.

Mandhana shared her satisfaction with the auction selections, noting the focus on experienced bowlers familiar with Indian conditions since the conclusion of the first season.

RCB secured veteran Indian spinner and Khel Ratna awardee Ekta Bisht for ₹60 lakh, England’s fast bowler Kate Cross for ₹30 lakh, and young Indian all-rounder Simran Bahadur, also for ₹30 lakh. The team continued their commitment to nurturing local talent by picking Bengaluru-based all-rounder Shubha Satheesh for ₹10 lakh and adding 2016 Women’s Asia Cup winner S Meghana for ₹30 lakh. Australian spin all-rounders Georgia Wareham (₹40 lakh) and Sophie Molineux (₹30 lakh) were also acquired to bolster the team’s international presence, completing a robust 18-member squad.

Rajesh V Menon, VP and Head of RCB, emphasized the importance of building a team gradually, stating, “There are no shortcuts to building a team. We learned a lot from last year, and we aimed to apply those lessons to create a balanced and flexible squad for any conditions.”

RCB, known for its bold play style, has carefully selected players skilled in both bowling and batting.

Mandhana highlighted the importance of bowling in T20s, saying, “A good bowling side wins you competitions. This year, we focused on strengthening our spin unit and finding overseas pacers to complement Renuka Singh. With Kate Cross and our spinners like Molineux and Wareham, we have an experienced bowling lineup. We also have strong batting talents like Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Devine, and Ellyse Perry.”

Assistant head coach and head of scouting Malolan elaborated on RCB’s auction strategy, praising the team’s strong Indian core with players like Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh, Kanika Ahuja, and Shreyanka Patil. He also mentioned the addition of international players like Devine, Perry, and Heather Knight, aiming for a well-balanced bowling unit capable of performing in various conditions.

The RCB squad for WPL 2024 is a mix of retained players and new buys, forming a formidable team for the upcoming season. Retained players include Mandhana, Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Perry, Knight, Indrani Roy, Ahuja, Singh, Ghosh, Patil, and Devine. The new acquisitions are Wareham, Cross, Bisht, Satheesh, Meghana, Bahadur, and Molineux.