WPL: Smriti Mandhana praises uncapped players, calm coaching ahead of final against DC

Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], February 4 (ANI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana has praised the the emergence of uncapped players in the squad this season, crediting the young talent for stepping up and adding depth and balance to the team ahead of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 final against Delhi Capitals (DC).

Mandhana's comment came ahead of their WPL 2026 final match against DC on February 5.

Reflecting on the impact of uncapped players in the setup this season, Mandhana spoke about moments that stood out for her. "Gautami becoming the first uncapped player to score a fifty was extremely nice to see. Prema has also really impressed me. She hasn't got a lot of opportunities with us because of the team combination, but she's a gun fielder, an extremely nice leg-spinner, and a very handy batter as well. Whenever I see her bowl in the nets, she's really impressed me," Mandhana said, as quoted by RCB.

Speaking about Nandini Sharma, the leading wicket-taker for Delhi Capitals, Mandhana recalled her journey as a former net bowler with RCB.

"Nandini has been a net bowler for us over the last two years, and I've seen how hard she works day in and day out. So when I saw her pick up her first five-wicket haul, it genuinely made me very happy. She always bowled her heart out in the nets, and I used to feel that something good had to come her way because of the effort she was putting in. I'm happy for her," she added.

Speaking about her relationship with RCB Head Coach Malolan Rangarajan, Mandhana reflected on the calm influence he has brought to the squad, "I've known Malo for the last three years, right from the first season. From the second season onwards, especially around auction planning, he's been very involved. He's extremely calm and composed. Whether we were 44 for 4 or in control later in the innings, he is exactly the same. A lot of the girls have really enjoyed working with him and taken in the calmness he brings. For many of the Indian players who came in, that calmness was needed, and I feel he's helped them a lot. Now, our bond is such that we don't even need to talk. We just understand each other."

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions of the WPL, whereas the Delhi Capitals have reached their fourth consecutive final.

Squads:

Delhi Capitals Women Squad: Lizelle Lee (wicketkeeper), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (captain), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Alana King, Taniya Bhatia, Lucy Hamilton, Pragati Singh, Eddla Srujana

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women Squad: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (captain), Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Dayalan Hemalatha, Prathyoosha Kumar, Gautami Naik, Prema Rawat. (ANI)

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