In the Women’s Premier League (WPL) so far, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) women’s team, led by Smriti Mandhana, have not won any of their matches. They suffered four defeats in total, starting with a 60-run loss to the Delhi Capitals. Following that, they were defeated by the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants before suffering a devastating 10-wicket loss to the UP Warriorz.
Following the first WPL auction, the franchise based in Bangalore appeared to be among the top teams. Smriti Mandhana was the first player to be auctioned and was purchased by RCB for a significant amount of 3.4 crore, making her the tournament’s most expensive player. RCB also acquired renowned players such as Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Renuka Thakur, Richa Ghosh, and Sophie Devine.
Reema Malhotra on the RCB team
In a conversation organized by the official broadcasters on Friday, Reema Malhotra expressed her opinion that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are not fully utilizing their domestic players, such as Kanika Ahuja and Poonam Khemnar.
“If you look at the RCB, they have picked up a heavy side. They have picked some great players in Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh Thakur etc. But the problem is, they aren’t utilising the Indian players well,” Reema said.
“They have Kanika Ahuja, an all-rounder from Punjab, who hasn’t bowled yet in the league. They didn’t use Poonam Khemnar as a bowler. If you have options but you won’t use them, then you will always have a shortage,” she added.
Malhotra also spoke about the captaincy
Reema said that Smriti Mandhana’s leadership skills cannot be blamed because she is not acquainted with the domestic players. As a former Indian cricketer, Reema states that the RCB players did not function as a unit, resulting in their losses in the WPL.
“I have played against Smriti and I am aware of her captaincy. She has led her side to the final in the domestic circuit. But now her leadership is being questioned which doesn’t make sense. It’s just that she has joined the team recently and doesn’t have much idea about the domestic players. Nothing is wrong but they are not clicking as a team,” she said.
The women’s team of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is scheduled to play against Delhi Capitals Women in their upcoming match of the WPL on Monday, March 13, at the Dr. DY. Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.
