WPL 2024: 5-star Sobhana Asha fires RCB to season-opening win at home vs UP Warriorz
After having seen leg-spinners dominate proceedings with the ball for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the Indian Premier League (IPL), it was time for a leggie to shine for RCB in their first home game in the Women’s Premier League. 32-year-old Sobhana Asha became the first RCB bowler to pick up a 5-wicket haul in WPL history as she came up with a spin-bowling masterclass in their opening match of the second season of the T20 league, against UP Warriorz.
Sobhana Asha’s figures of 22 for 5 thrilled former RCB leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and they were also enough for the home team to open their account in the new season, much to the delight of the packed home crowd. With a headband on and her wrists doing the talking, Sobhana Asha turned the game around in RCB’s favour, bowling a momentum-swinging over with 3 wickets.
The WPL game went down the wire as it was the second final-over thriller in as many days. While Mumbai Indians’s Sajeevan Sajana hit a last-ball six when 5 was required against Delhi Capitals in the WPL season opener on Friday, UP Warriorz’s Deepti Sharma was not able to find the big hit when 5 was needed of the last ball for them against RCB on Saturday.
The game looked like heading UP Warriorz’s way as Australia’s Grace Harris and local star Shweta Sehrawat stitched a 77-run stand for the 4th wicket. However, leg-spinner Sobhana Asha not only broke the partnership but sent both the batters home and dismissed the dangerous Kiran Navgire, all in the 17th over to swing the match in favour of the home team, which enjoyed incredible support.
It seemed as if Sobhana Asha loved picking wickets in heaps as she had dismissed the dangerous Tahila McGrath and Vrinda Dinesh in the 9th over, jolting the UP Warriorz top-order.
Sobhana Asha became only the fourth bowler in the nascent history of WPL to pick up a 5-wicket haul.
Marizanne Kapp 5 for 15 for DC vs Gujarat Giants in 2023
Tara Norris – 5 for 29 for DC vs RCB in 2023
Kim Garth – 5 for 36 for Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz in 2023
Sobhana Asha – 5 for 22 for RCB vs UP Warriorz in 2024
The experience of their new recruit Sophie Molineux also shone through as the left-arm spinner got the big wicket of Alyssa Healy in the 2nd over before bowling a tidy 19th over to keep Deepti Sharma and an impressive Poonam Khermnar quiet.
RICHA AND MEGHANA FIRE AT HOME
Earlier in the day, RCB’s big guns, including Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry and Sophie Devine, failed to trouble the scorers much. However, the highlight of the RCB innings was the remarkable partnership between Sabbhineni Meghana and Richa Ghosh, who both scored impressive fifties, steering their team to a competitive total.
Meghana, known for her elegant stroke play, crafted a well-composed 53 off 44 balls. She hit seven boundaries and a six, demonstrating her ability to find gaps and clear the ropes with ease. Despite being given life on two occasions, dropped on 20 and 22, she capitalised on the opportunities, displaying a mix of aggression and caution.
Richa Ghosh, on the other hand, provided the late-innings impetus that RCB desperately needed. Her explosive 62 off just 37 deliveries was a spectacle, featuring twelve boundaries. Ghosh’s innings was a testament to her power-hitting capabilities, as she took on the UP Warriorz bowlers with disdain, propelling RCB to a formidable total. Her strike rate of 167.56 highlighted her ability to accelerate and maintain momentum, making her an invaluable asset to the RCB lineup.