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ROYAL CHALLENGERS
The third edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is set to commence on February 14, 2025. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will open the season with a clash against Gujarat Giants. Led by Smriti Mandhana, RCB secured their maiden WPL title last season by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final.
RCB's Performance in WPL 2024
| Season | Performance |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Finished at the bottom of the table. |
| 2024 | Won 3 out of their first 7 league matches. Defeated Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets to qualify for the playoffs. Beat Mumbai Indians again to enter the final. Defeated Delhi Capitals to claim the WPL title. |
RCB’s Squad for WPL 2025
During the auction, RCB made some key additions to strengthen their squad. England spin-bowling allrounder Charlie Dean was signed as Sophie Molineux’s replacement. Additionally, Heather Graham and Kim Garth replaced Sophie Devine and Kate Cross. RCB also acquired Prema Rawat, VJ Joshitha, Raghvi Bist, and Jagravi Pawar.
Full Squad:
| Player Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Smriti Mandhana (C) | Batter |
| Richa Ghosh | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Danni Wyatt | Batter |
| Kanika Ahuja | All-rounder |
| Sabbineni Meghana | Batter |
| Ellyse Perry | All-rounder |
| Sophie Devine | All-rounder |
| Renuka Singh | Bowler |
| Shreyanka Patil | Bowler |
| Georgia Wareham | All-rounder |
| Sophie Molineux | All-rounder |
| Kate Cross | Bowler |
| Ekta Bisht | Bowler |
| Charlie Dean | All-rounder |
| Heather Graham | All-rounder |
| Kim Garth | Bowler |
| Prema Rawat | Batter |
| VJ Joshitha | All-rounder |
| Raghvi Bist | Bowler |
| Jagravi Pawar | Bowler |
RCB’s WPL 2025 Schedule
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| February 14 | Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 07:30 PM |
| February 17 | Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 07:30 PM |
| February 21 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians | 07:30 PM |
| February 24 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz | 07:30 PM |
| February 27 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants | 07:30 PM |
| March 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals | 07:30 PM |
| March 8 | UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 07:30 PM |
| March 11 | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 07:30 PM |
Highlights for RCB in WPL 2025
- Defending champions aiming for back-to-back titles.
- Smriti Mandhana continues as captain, leading a well-balanced squad.
- Key additions include Charlie Dean, Heather Graham, and Kim Garth.
- RCB’s final league stage match will be against Mumbai Indians on March 11 at Brabourne Stadium.
RCB will be looking to defend their title successfully and put up another strong performance in WPL 2025. Fans can expect thrilling matches as the tournament is going to premiere today.
FAQ
1.Is RCB a strong team in 2025?
- Still in search of their elusive maiden IPL title, RCB will aim to break their championship drought in 2025, building on years of near misses and promising campaigns. They will hope a change in leadership will do the job after appointing Rajat Patidar as the skipper on Thursday (February 13).
2. Is WPL free?
-But the newly merged platform is set to take away the free live streaming of sports in India. According to a Reuters report, fans will only be able to watch the full match with subscription plans starting at Rs 149.
3. Is there an opening ceremony for WPL 2025?
- To kickstart WPL 2025, the opening ceremony will take place on the first two days of the event, but only during the mid-innings break. Ayushmann Khurrana will perform during the mid-innings break of the first game to be played between RCB and GG, on Friday,