Batting on 61 off 29, in the middle of the 16th over, Richa Ghosh took count of the fielding changes, then took a couple of deep breaths, calming herself down. Next ball, as Chinelle Henry strayed down the leg side, Ghosh just casually flicked the ball, and deposited it over the fence. RCB’s hopes of staying alive depended on her capable shoulders carrying the load of a mega run-chase.
Next over, however, when Deepti Sharma bowled one in her arc, her eyes lit up and she went for another big heave over midwicket. But, this time, Henry was waiting. In a tournament where their catching was forgettable for the most part, the West Indies allrounder grabbed the ball cleanly and fell on her back, arms spread across in joy – and relief. Even though Sneh Rana smashed the first five balls she faced for two fours and three sixes in a stunning cameo to give her side hope, RCB’s tournament effectively ended when Ghosh’s knock came to an end. UP Warriorz scored the highest Women’s Premier League total after being asked to bat first, posting 225/5 riding on Georgia Voll’s 99*. RCB gave it a good chase but fell short by 12 runs.
UPW were already out of the playoffs race, and this result finished off RCB’s chances too. Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Giants are confirmed to play in the knockouts, with the top spot – a direct entry to the final – still up for grabs for the three teams.
RCB’s night started off well as Smriti Mandhana finally won a toss after losing all four in Bengaluru (and ended up losing all those matches as well). But the smile she had at the toss vanished rather quickly as UPW were off to a flying start. Grace Harris and Georgia Voll found boundaries with an alarming frequency. If the first half of the powerplay was about Grace’s power, Voll soon stepped on the gas too. With a total of 11 fours and 2 sixes in the powerplay, UPW registered the best score of the season at the end of six overs (at that point) with 67/0.
UPW’s problem through the season, however, has been converting these starts into a substantial total. But in their final match, they found the right rhythm in their batting. After Harris’ run out, Kiran Navgire played her best innings of the tournament too, showing her big-hitting abilities with back-to-back sixes off Georgia Wareham. Not long after, came a 22-run over from Renuka Singh Thakur as Navgire showcased some easy power to smash a couple more sixes in her 16-ball 46.
Voll’s incredible ball-striking is not new for Indian fans, as she scored a century in only her second ODI for Australia. And it seemed she was on her way to scoring the first century of the WPL but the 90s curse struck again. Just in Lucknow this past week, Beth Mooney (96* for Gujarat Giants) and Meg Lanning (92 for Delhi Capitals) came close but Voll went even closer. But after finding the boundary with ease for the majority of her innings, she couldn’t do enough in the last couple of overs, and was left stranded on 99. What mattered, however, was the score UPW posted that was out of RCB’s reach.
For the defending champions, it brought the curtains down (effectively, as they still have one match to go) on a poor season. Their problems started even before a ball was bowled, as the top three wicket-takers of WPL 2024 in Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana and Sophie Molineux were all ruled out. They started off alright despite those blows, winning two matches in Vadodara. But the season fully derailed once their home games began.
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“We started believing it was going to be a good season, but in the last five matches, we couldn’t meet our own expectations,” a dejected Mandhana said later. “We played well in patches but lost key moments, losing matches we could have won. There’s definitely a lot to take back from the season. Losing the top three wicket-takers of last season was significant, especially after the auction.”
Her own form with the bat didn’t help RCB either. After the joy of 2024, it turned out to be a forgettable campaign. On UPW’s night in Lucknow, RCB would be left feeling it is the hope that kills.
