RCB vs GG, WPL 2024: Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Molineux shine as RCB beat GG by eight wickets

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had a fantastic start in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, winning their first two matches. After a nail-biting match against UP Warriorz, they secured an 8-wicket victory against Beth Mooney's Gujarat Giants on February 27 at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Choosing to field first, RCB limited the Giants to 107 for 7. The Giants struggled from the beginning, managing only 29 runs in the powerplay. Renuka Singh made a significant impact, dismissing Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield. Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham tightened the grip in the middle overs, with Wareham claiming the crucial wicket of Ash Gardner.

In the run-chase, RCB comfortably surpassed the target with 45 balls to spare, showing intent by scoring 47 runs in the powerplay. Despite losing Sophie Devine early, Smriti Mandhana's aggressive batting, scoring 43 off 27 balls, guided RCB to a commanding position. Sabbhineni Meghana, unbeaten on 36, played a crucial role, and Ellyse Perry contributed with a quick 23 not out.

This victory propelled RCB to the top of the points table, displacing defending champions Mumbai Indians. With a net run rate of +1.665 from 2 matches, RCB is now one of the favorites to go through to the next round.