Buoyant RCB chase fourth straight win

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are back in action within 24 hours of sealing their third successive win in the WPL. The quick turnaround leaves little room for recovery, but with momentum on their side, the Smriti Mandhana-led team will look to push for a fourth straight victory. They face Delhi Capitals in the final WPL fixture in Navi Mumbai, a game that also offers RCB an opportunity to consolidate their early hold at the top of the table.

A last-ball thriller against Mumbai Indians was followed by a commanding win over UP Warriorz. Against Gujarat Giants, RCB were 43/4 but engineered a fine turnaround, with Radha Yadav's promotion to No. 5 delivering a crucial innings. RCB will, however, be keen for greater contributions from the top order, particularly skipper Smriti Mandhana, who has had a couple of low scores. Their bowling has been consistently effective, with Lauren Bell, Shreyanka Patil and Nadine de Klerk taking the bulk of the wickets.

Delhi Capitals enter this contest after a couple of days' break, having finally opened their account this season. A comprehensive loss to MI was followed by a narrow four-run defeat against the Giants before a last-ball win over Warriorz got their campaign going. Lizelle Lee has provided firepower at the top, while Shafali Verma showed signs of recovery with a 36. New captain Jemimah Rodrigues is also due for runs. With the ball, Marizanne Kapp has played a containing role, Nandni Sharma has impressed as a wicket-taker in her maiden WPL season, and Shafali's bowling proved effective in the previous match.

When: Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 PM IST
Where: Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai

What to expect: Chasing sides have enjoyed greater success in Navi Mumbai, winning five of the nine matches played here, including MI's successful chase of 193—the highest in this edition. That trend was briefly bucked when RCB successfully defended 182 against the Giants—the first time in five games at the venue that a team batting first won. With the surface offering value for strokeplay early on but slowing down later, captains may prefer chasing, while totals above 170 remain in play.

Delhi Capitals: Rodrigues' side have fielded the same XI in all three matches and are likely to stick with the same combination.
Probable XI: Lizelle Lee (wk), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Chinelle Henry, Marizanne Kapp, Sneh Rana, Niki Prasad, Minnu Mani, Nandni Sharma, Shree Charani

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Linsey Smith is yet to make an impact, having gone wicketless while proving expensive. There is a case for RCB to bring in an additional front-line batter like Georgia Voll, who can also bowl, but it remains to be seen if they make that change.
Probable XI: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Dayalan Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Linsey Smith / Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell