De Klerk blitz keeps RCB's unconventional plans safe

At the fall of the third wicket, Radha Yadav emerged to take guard. It was an unusual sight, unlikely to have too many contenders for the most unconventional cricketing decision in the WPL's short history.

It wasn't an experimental promotion. It was as slated on the team sheet. Following her were six other bowlers and bowling all-rounders to hold the batting hopes of a middling run chase.

For a player with a highest score of 14 in T20Is, and 27* across all premier T20 games, it was a heavy responsibility. When she walked in at 62 for 3 in the seventh over, it's no surprise RCB didn't make the 155-run chase seem like a stroll.

Amelia Kerr needed only one ball to clean her up with a googly. Three deliveries later, Richa Ghosh departed. At 65 for 5, RCB were left scrambling despite holding the upper hand for the initial phase.

That RCB's decision left them in such a position wasn't by accident. It was by design. Despite having hard-hitting Georgia Voll on the bench, they went in with additional bowlers. Of nine options, only six were used.

"It was a selection call," said RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan after their win. "Historically, since 2024, we've always had an overseas spinner. We believe that's the way we'd like to line up."

"If you see where we batted Radha, it's not something that just happened. Radha bats for India A at number 4 and 5. She bats for Baroda at 4 and 5. We're seeing how well we can combine our players. And with Aru [Arundhati Reddy], she's been batting very well. She has a clear game plan."

Different players chipped in to ensure RCB's thought process was validated. Arundhati Reddy ensured it wasn't a free-fall after Ghosh's dismissal, stretching the game to keep Mumbai on their toes. Prema Rawat chipped in with quick runs late.

However, RCB's hopes of crossing the line rested on Nadine de Klerk's late assault—the kind that bailed South Africa out during the recent World Cup.

De Klerk enjoyed her share of luck, dropped thrice and surviving a run-out chance. The chase didn't pace as planned, needing 8 an over in the last four. But when pushed to a corner in the final over, she muscled two sixes and two boundaries.

For a match that went so close, a more balanced line-up might have tilted things in RCB's favour. At a venue where 7 out of 10 games were won by the chasing team in WPL 2023, RCB had the upper hand after winning the toss. Lauren Bell's opening spell had firmly pushed the defending champions on the back foot.

The game was an anomaly from Mumbai's batting perspective too. In swinging conditions, Amelia Kerr—opening in Hayley Matthews' absence—was all at sea, taking 11 balls to get off the mark. Nat Sciver-Brunt was stumped off her third ball. Harmanpreet Kaur remained scratchy before falling on 20.

The veteran trio combined for just 28 runs—a rare failure for a top order that had been one of the competition's strongest.

But S Sajana took advantage of being put down twice early to plunder 45 off 25 balls. She was supported by Nicola Carey's 40, helping MI to a respectable, if under-par, total.

Contrastingly, RCB powered to a strong start. Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana took apart the bowling, hammering 39 runs in three overs. But with a few quick wickets, the momentum flipped in minutes, and questions over the combination returned.

The fact that RCB was shaping up as a team packed with bowlers was noticeable at the auction's end. When searching for an Ellyse Perry replacement, they roped in Sayali Satghare.

Explaining the rationale, Malolan said, "In the auction, we picked Voll first. An opportunity came up. We'd already secured Nadine. Once we lost the bid for Shikha Pandey, we knew what we could achieve. Grace Harris became an opportunity, along with Pooja Vastrakar and Aru. For that money, we got three players."

"Once you have a player like Grace, you see what damage she could do. We want her to bat freely and take pressure off Smriti. There's a lot of noise around the obvious player missing. There are many ways to skin the cat. People want us to be batting heavy. We could, or we could ask our existing batters to do the job."

A victory to kickstart the campaign strengthens belief in that unconventional plan. The two points offer ample cushion for the plans to remain.

"We've given everyone a role," Malolan said. "It's a good thing we won. We can again look to back players into that role."