RCB Embarks on a Crucial Away Stint, Battling for Tournament Survival | Cricbuzz.com

**WPL 2025: RCB’s Critical Turning Point on the Road**
By Cricbuzz Staff

As Royal Challengers Bangalore embark on their journey once more, they find themselves in a precarious battle to secure their survival in the Women’s Premier League 2025. Following four consecutive home defeats, they stand on the verge of repeating their disappointing run from the inaugural season. Of all the teams, RCB are acutely aware of the ramifications such a losing streak has on playoff qualification. In an intriguing twist of fate, it was against the UP Warriorz in the 2023 WPL that they managed to break their losing curse. They will be hopeful of extending the hosts’ woes this Saturday to reignite their pursuit of a top-three finish.

Throughout the Bangalore leg, RCB enjoyed the unwavering backing of an average 28,000-strong crowd. However, challenging pitch conditions ultimately neutralized any home-field advantage they might have had. The team’s fortunes were also hampered by losing all four tosses. The spotlight has also been on their over-dependence on Ellyse Perry, whose extraordinary performance in scoring 295 runs at an average of 98.3 across six matches stands out. Comparing this to the collective 358 runs scored by the rest of the top four, who averaged just 22.37, highlights the considerable imbalance. The contribution of Smriti Mandhana’s match-winning 81 or Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s maiden fifty against UPW underlines isolated successes amid a broader struggle.

The issue of top-order instability seems to be a common thread across teams. UP Warriorz, having experimented with their opening combinations before perhaps settling on an Australian duo after Georgia Voll’s inaugural half-century, encapsulate this narrative. The mismatched blend of domestic talent and seasoned international players has, however, caused substantial setbacks in UPW’s early campaign, often leaving their big hitters with monumental tasks. Acts of triumph, like Chinelle Henry’s blazing innings against Delhi Capitals or Sophie Ecclestone’s tactical display against RCB, have provided thrilling cricket moments but have been scarce amid UPW’s larger inconsistencies.

On the points table, only net run rate separates RCB (-0.244) and UPW (-0.785), with RCB having one game in hand, scheduled in Mumbai on the final night of the round-robin stage. UPW’s loss to Gujarat Giants has left them clinging to playoff hopes by a thread, reliant on favorable results elsewhere. A victory against RCB remains crucial for UPW to elevate their standings and conclude their roller-coaster season positively.

**Match Details**
– **When:** Saturday, March 8, at 7:30 PM IST
– **Where:** Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
– **Weather:** Evening dew is expected to be a significant factor, maintaining the trend of opting to chase.

**Team News**

**UP Warriorz**
Gouher Sultana’s expensive overs in recent games may prompt a reshuffle, with Rajeshwari Gayakwad potentially taking her place or an additional pacer being introduced.
*Probable XI:* Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Vrinda Dinesh, Deepti Sharma (c), Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Uma Chetry (wk), Chinelle Henry, Sophie Ecclestone, Gouher Sultana/Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kranti Goud

**Royal Challengers Bengaluru**
Captain Smriti Mandhana dismissed suggestions of strategically retiring Raghavi Bist during the last match despite a sluggish start. However, facing a must-win scenario, RCB might consider some tactical adjustments this time.
*Probable XI:* Smriti Mandhana (c), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Raghvi Bist/S Meghana, Kanika Ahuja, Richa Ghosh (wk), Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Ekta Bisht/Prema Rawat

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