Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 7 : Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) second Women's Premier League (WPL) win, the franchise revealed words of wisdom, a special pep talk from men's RCB legend Virat Kohli, encouraging the players to put the body on the line for those "1 per cent small things" that make a difference.
A record-breaking Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll condemned Delhi Capitals (DC) to their fourth-successive runners-up finish in the WPL, helping RCB win their second title by chasing down a massive 204. Now, RCB holds both the IPL and WPL trophies at the same time.
Speaking in a video by RCB's official X handle, Virat said, "On the field, give everything that you have. Those 1 per cent small things make all the difference at the very end. So if you have a chance to put your body on the length of that ball, do it. Firstly, a huge congratulations for reaching the finals of the WPL once again. I have been watching you guys play this season, and it has been amazing to watch some high-pressure games that we won."
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"Really set the tone for us this season. And it is no surprise to me that we were the first ones to make it to the finals. Top of the table. Just continuing the momentum that we had from game one. A couple of games in the middle, where it is also good to have a little bit of a think and reflect on the things that the team can work on moving ahead. And that's exactly what you guys did in the last couple of games as well," he added.
Virat said that the title clash is not "just another day" and it is something everyone plays the sport for, the "big occasions, winning trophies, small things that make all the difference at the end. So if you have a chance to put your body on the line for that ball, do it. If you have a chance to dive into the crease for that one run, do it. That is what is going to count at the end of the day. And if you do that, you can walk away from that field with your head held high," he signed off.
Coming to the match, RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first. Lizelle Lee (37 in 30 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Shafali Verma (20 in 13 balls, with three fours) put their team to a flying start. A 76-run stand for the third wicket between Jemimah Rodrigues, who played a captain's knock of 57 in 37 balls, with eight fours and Laura Wolvaardt (44 in 35 balls, with three fours and two sixes) brought them back to the game. Just when RCB threatened to pull things back, Chinelle Henry (35* in 15 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) played a fiery cameo to power DC to 203/4 in 20 overs, the highest in a WPL final.
In the chase, RCB lost Grace Harris (8) early, but a 165-run stand between Smriti (87 in 41 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes) and Georgia Voll (79 in 54 balls, with 14 fours) pierced DC's chances with every hit. DC threatened to pull things back with three quick wickets in the final few overs, but Radha Yadav (12*) and Nadine de Klerk (7*) chased the total with six wickets and two balls in hand. Mandhana was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' award.