WPL: ‘The way she maneuvered her shots was exceptional’, Stacy-Ann hails Smriti’s terrific knock

Smriti played a knock of 81 off 47 balls, her highest score in WPL, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed Delhi Capitals by eight wickets to continue their unbeaten run in the ongoing season on Monday.

Vadodara: Former West Indies cricketer Stacy-Ann King praised Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Smriti Mandhana‘s terrific show against Delhi Capitals in the WPL 2025 match and said the left-hander led from the front like a true captain.

Smriti played a knock of 81 off 47 balls, her highest score in WPL, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed Delhi Capitals by eight wickets to continue their unbeaten run in the ongoing season on Monday.

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Smriti put out an exhibition of classy strokeplay, combining superb timing with great placement of shots to hit ten fours and three sixes in her knock coming at a strike rate of 172.34.

“She was outstanding tonight. The way she maneuvered and executed her shots was exceptional. We saw several strokes on the leg side, but her elegance through the off side was truly remarkable. She pierced the field with precision, going up and over when needed. After missing out in the last match, she made amends today, leading from the front as a true captain,” said Stacy-Ann JioHotstar.

After pacer Renuka Singh Thakur and leg-spinner Georgia Wareham picked three wickets each in an impressive bowling performance from RCB to bowl out DC for 141, Smriti and Danni Wyatt-Hodge came out all guns blazing to share a 107-run stand for the opening wicket.

Former India captain Mithali Raj shared her thoughts on RCB’s dominant performance and said, “Right from the first over when Renuka Singh dismissed Shafali Varma, RCB took control of the game. From that moment on, Smriti Mandhana has not put a foot wrong. Every bowling change she made resulted in a breakthrough. The way she led the innings, along with Danni Wyatt, provided a strong foundation for their batting line-up.”

Mithali further highlighted the significance of Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 42-run innings, saying, “She was a bit tentative at the start, but once she got a few runs, she settled in. The way she lifted her bat and accumulated runs showed her class. As the innings progressed, she played with more conviction, adjusting to every move and variation from the opposition. She steadily grew in confidence, making full use of every opportunity presented to her.”

Analysing Delhi Capitals’ performance and where they fell short, Stacy-Ann said, “I think they couldn’t post the total they aimed for, primarily due to losing wickets at crucial junctures. While they had a few big overs, they weren’t able to maximize their scoring opportunities.

“The loss of key wickets at critical moments hindered their momentum, affecting both their run rate and their ability to build strong partnerships. Moving forward, they will need to focus on constructing solid partnerships to achieve better results.”

With Monday night’s win, RCB are now at the top of the points table while Delhi Capitals are third with one win in two games.