Predicted playing XI for RCB in WPL 2025 opener

This is how RCB might line up for the season opener against the Gujarat Giants as injury concerns bother defending champions.

Predicted playing XI for RCB in WPL 2025 opener

Ellyse Perry, Smriti Mandhana, Luke Williams, image courtesy: X

As the latest edition of the Women’s Premier League looms large around the corner, the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will be hopeful of getting the right pieces in place. With Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, and Kate Cross sidelined, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will have to come up with a solid combination to keep their title defense alive.

Despite the absences, RCB still has a solid force, and the combinations are yet lethal enough for other teams to be rattled. With Smriti Mandhana leading from the front, RCB will have a special player up front. Apart from Mandhana, the presence of Ellyse Perry will be making the right ripples, while a star-studded bowling unit can also be a game-changer for them. Here is what RCB’s playing XI might be in the first game of the WPL 2025:

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Openers: Smriti Mandhana (cap) and Dani Wyatt-Hodge

Smriti Mandhana’s presence has always been special to RCB. Despite a sloppy start to the history of the tournament, she turned things around in the second season. Mandhana’s overall tally boasts a staggering 449 runs from the 18 matches that she has been a part of. In the last iteration of the tournament, she whacked 300 runs from 10 matches. Apart from her heroics in the WPL, her recent form would be another reason for her to brim with confidence. Mandhana chronicled scores of 135, 73, and 41 against Ireland in the recently concluded ODI series.

Dani Wyatt-Hodge has been an absolute force in the franchise leagues across the globe. The English all-rounder has racked up 29 wickets in the franchise tournaments, including the likes of WBBL and Hundred. Apart from her bowling flair, she is an absolute storm with the bat, racking up 1733 runs in the WBBL from 75 matches. She is a like-for-like replacement for Sophie Devine, who proved to be quite an instrumental option for RCB in the last two years.

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Middle-Order: Ellyse Perry, Sabbhineni Meghana, Raghvi Bisht, Richa Ghosh, Kim Garth

Despite speculations of an injury, Ellyse Perry is back, and she will be a crucial option at the heart of RCB. With 600 runs scored from 17 matches and 11 wickets claimed, the Aussie all-rounder has set the tone perfectly for RCB in the last two seasons. The last season saw her hammer 347 runs at a strike rate of 125.72 while registering seven wickets.

Out of the seven wickets, Pez claimed a six-fer against the Mumbai Indians while rocking a phenomenal 66 against them too with the bat. Perry is a leader as well, which makes her a lucrative option to be in the playing XI.

Sabbhineni Meghana provides a reliable option in the batting order of RCB. If there is an early landslide, she can arrest the decline while also possessing the capability to forge a storm. Her improved numbers in the last iteration of the tournament saw her scoring 81 runs from six games. Meghana has been focusing on her bowling lately as she was in impressive touch in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy as well. RCB would love the presence of an all-rounder as capable as Meghana.

Raghvi Bisht made her debut recently in the international circuit. She has drawn the attention of RCB’s head coach, Luke Williams, and is being touted as a promising batter up front. Bisht comes in with some terrific power, and in an intra-camp practice match held by RCB, Bisht scored a fine half-century in a high-octane chase. With top batters preceding her, Bisht might have a free hand in the middle-order.

Richa Ghosh
Richa Ghosh, image courtesy: X

Richa Ghosh has been a storm to reckon with in recent times. Apart from her heroics in the international circuit, her form in WPL 2024 was enviable. She clobbered 257 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 141.98 in WPL 2024. Ghosh has been an absolute heartthrob of the Indian cricket team, registering a quickfire 59 against Ireland in the last ODI as well.

She has also made the right ripples in the WBBL, thrashing 162 runs at a strike rate of 95.29. Not only is she a great striker of the ball, but her finishing capability makes her a big name to watch out for.

Kim Garth has already proven her worth in the WPL, clinching 11 wickets for Gujarat Giants. She is an identical replacement for Sophie Molineux in terms of her role despite being a fast-bowling all-rounder. Garth has 764 runs in T20Is at a strike rate of 78.92, while she has 49 international wickets in the shortest format of the game.

Her ability to start both with the new ball and, at times, chime in with crucial overs in the middle makes her a great choice for RCB. More importantly, her ability to bat is also a great value addition to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru unit.

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Bowlers: Shreyanka Patil, Charlie Dean, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Singh

Shreyanka Patil has already proven to be a game-changer with the ball in her hands. With 19 wickets in her WPL tally, and the best of WPL 2024 coming in the grand finale, Patil is a big name to watch out for. Even in the international circuit, she has looked in great touch as she has already racked up 20 wickets from 16 matches. Her leg spin has sparked discussions of mystery, and her ability to swing the bat at times enhances RCB’s batting depth too.

Charlie Dean’s mercurial off-break can be a good variation for RCB. With a couple of leg spinners in Patil and Asha Sobhana, the availability of Dean provides them balance. Also, Dean’s experience comes in handy for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which has already seen her rack up 50 wickets in the shortest format of the game. Dean has a best score of 34 in T20Is, which makes her a versatile option for the Royal Challengers too.

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Charlie Dean, image courtesy: X

Asha Sobhana showed it in the first edition of the tournament that she was there to stay. RCB started their 2024 campaign with a resounding win, and Sobhana registered a fifer to eke out a pulsating win against the UP Warriorz. Sobhana has established herself as a seasoned warrior, and her economy rate of 7.11 also makes a lot of difference. RCB will be eyeing to use Sobhana as a run-stopper, thereby producing a lot of pressure on their counterparts.

RCB
Renuka Singh, image courtesy: X

Renuka Singh will be the most important cog in their wheels, considering her fiery form in recent times. With ten wickets from three matches against West Indies, Singh has unleashed a different version of herself. She will be spearheading RCB’s pace battery from up front, hoping to make the most of the new ball.

Also, with a couple of modest seasons and the WPL mega-auction coming up next year, Renuka will be desperate to showcase her best in order to create the right set of questions for RCB and the other franchises if needed.