Virat Kohli joins Smriti Mandhana and team in celebrations after WPL 2024 victory (WATCH)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clinched their first-ever Women's Premier League (WPL) title with a thrilling victory over Delhi Capitals, prompting celebrations that saw former men's team captain Virat Kohli joining in.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally basked in the glory of victory as the Smriti Mandhana-led side clinched the franchise's first-ever silverware on Sunday. In a thrilling Women's Premier League (WPL) final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, RCB emerged triumphant, defeating Delhi Capitals by eight wickets. Chasing a target of 114, RCB achieved their goal with eight wickets and two balls to spare, igniting celebrations across social media platforms. Prior to the presentation ceremony, RCB skipper Mandhana received a heartening video call from none other than former men's team captain and star batter, Virat Kohli.
Kohli, showing his support, also took to Instagram to extend his congratulations to the RCB women's team on their historic IPL success, captioning his story with "Superwomen."
In pursuit of a modest target, RCB began their innings cautiously with Mandhana and Devine laying a solid foundation with a 49-run partnership in 8.1 overs. While Mandhana held the fort, Devine showcased aggression, embellishing her innings with five boundaries and one maximum before being dismissed by pacer Shikha Pandey. The loss of Devine momentarily slowed down RCB's momentum, as Mandhana and Perry struggled to find their rhythm amidst a drying boundary spell.
However, Perry's resilience came to the fore in the 13th over when she broke free, dispatching pacer Arundhati Reddy for a boundary towards deep midwicket. Mandhana, too, joined the scoring spree by cutting the ball to the backward point fence. Despite Mandhana's departure after a rash shot, Perry, in partnership with Richa Ghosh (17 not out), calmly steered RCB towards victory, eventually reaching 115 runs in 19.3 overs. Ghosh sealed the deal with a boundary off Reddy, sealing RCB's historic triumph.
Also Read: Vijay Mallya applauds RCB Women's WPL 2024 title triumph