The 2024 Women’s Premier League (WPL) has kicked off with an exciting start, and now the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the UP Warriorz (UPW) are ready to bring on the entertainment.

The two squads will face off at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, February 24th. They will be aiming to surpass their performance from last year, with the former failing to make it to the playoffs and the latter being eliminated in the early stages of the knockout round.

RCB has strengthened their team by acquiring key players such as Kate Cross, S Meghana, Ekta Bisht, and Georgia Wareham during the WPL 2024 auction. Despite Heather Knight’s withdrawal due to international duties and Kanika Ahuja’s stress injury, they are in a good position to secure a top three spot and make it to the playoffs.

UPW, on the other hand, has significant gaps in their team, but their deep pool of skilled players makes it impossible to underestimate them. Unexperienced batsman Vrinda Dinesh was one of their top picks during the auction, and they have also acquired Chamari Athapaththu in exchange for Lauren Bell.

Will RCB be able to begin their campaign with a victory in front of their home fans? Or will UPW ruin their celebration?

WPL 2024, Game 2: RCB aims to capitalize on home field advantage.

RCB boasts a lethal opening duo on paper with Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine. Nevertheless, the southpaw had a disastrous performance in the WPL last season, facing difficulties against off-spin and displaying questionable choices throughout.

Mandhana must improve her performance in 2023, both as a batter and as a captain. Devine, a strong hitter, requires assistance at the beginning of the lineup.

The middle order of Bangalore has been affected by the absence of Knight and Kanika, however, they still possess strong players like Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh. If the inexperienced domestic players perform well, it will be difficult to defeat them.

The UPW team faced difficulties in getting their Indian players to excel in batting. KP Navgire was unable to adjust to a higher batting position, and utilizing her as a finisher would be a more strategic decision. Shweta Sehrawat was unable to make a significant impact in WPL 2023, but her recent excellent form suggests she is determined to turn that into tangible results.

Vrinda’s inclusion is expected to bolster the Warriorz, who heavily rely on Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, and Grace Harris to provide strength and stability to their batting order. McGrath may also have to shoulder a significant burden in terms of bowling, as there is a shortage of pacers in the team.

In general, although the two teams are evenly matched, playing in front of their home crowd could give RCB an advantage, as they tend to perform well with the support of their fans. UPW may even have a stronger team on paper due to roster changes, but Bangalore is expected to begin their campaign with a victory.