Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers extended his support to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) women's team ahead of their crucial WPL 2024 final on Sunday, March 17. The stage is set at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi where Smriti Mandhana's RCB will lock horns with previous edition's finalist Delhi Capitals.
This comes after a nail-biting victory for RCB in the Eliminator just a day earlier. They edged out Harmanpreet Kaur's Mumbai Indians by a mere 5 runs. Ellyse Perry was the star performer for RCB, scoring a brilliant 66 runs and picking up a crucial wicket, but it was certainly a close call. Now, with AB's well wishes and their fighting spirit, RCB will be aiming to write history and clinch their first-ever WPL title.
Leading up to the final, RCB has displayed impressive all-round performances. Ellyse Perry, the 33-year-old powerhouse, has been a key player. Not only did she shine in the Eliminator with a crucial wicket and a well-made 66, but she also dominated with a stunning six-wicket haul in their last league match against MI.
RCB's batting has also seen contributions from various players. Shreyanka Patil, Richa Ghosh, captain Smriti Mandhana, and Asha Sobhana have all stepped up to the plate with impressive performances. This mix of bowling and batting prowess makes RCB a strong contender for the WPL title.
AB De Villiers backs Smriti Mandhana's RCB to win WPL 2024 trophy
Former RCB's star De Villiers posted a video on X to extend his best wishes for Mandhana's RCB ahead of WPL 2024 final.
“Women’s Premier League finals today promises to be an outstanding clash between two powerhouse teams. The two stand-out teams of this tournament. The Delhi Capitals Women’s team and Royal Challengers Bangalore Women’s team will be facing off in an action-packed final today. I absolutely cannot wait to watch the action unfold. Congratulations to both teams for making the finals, well deserved, and stand-out performances throughout the tournament individually and as a team," he said.
De Villiers not only wished the RCB women's team luck but also playfully challenged them to bring home the trophy and inspire the RCB men's team for their upcoming IPL season.
“A special shoutout to team RCB. All the very best to you all! Bring the trophy home and also give the men’s [team] some motivation for later on this month when the IPL starts. All the very best guys, I’ll be watching every ball,” De Villiers further said in the video posted on X.
Meanwhile, The men's team kicks off their IPL 2024 campaign on Friday, March 22 against the Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Royal Challengers Bangalore's schedule for IPL 2024's first leg:
RCB vs Chennai Super Kings - March 22 - Chennai - 7:30 PM IST
RCB vs Punjab Kings - March 25 - Bengaluru - 7:30 PM IST
RCB vs Kolkata Knight Riders - March 29 - Bengaluru - 7:30 PM IST
RCB vs Lucknow Super Giants - April 2 - Bengaluru - 7:30 PM IST
RCB vs Rajasthan Royals - April 6 - Jaipur - 7:30 PM IST
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