Royal Challengers Bengaluru have put UP Warriorz in to bat in Vadodara, the call coming with a welcome sight for India fans: Pooja Vastrakar is back after 15 months out.
Smriti Mandhana confirmed the seamer will play as a specialist batter for now. “Her bowling will take time to come back,” the RCB skipper said, matter-of-fact. Vastrakar replaces Gautami Naik, who averaged just 11 despite one fifty. The rest of the RCB line-up is untouched. They are already safe in the play-offs but have lost their last two, so a tune-up feels handy.
UPW, propping up the table on two wins from six, have shuffled harder. England keeper-batter Amy Jones comes in for the injured Phoebe Litchfield and is expected to open with Meg Lanning, her captain at the Melbourne Stars. Kiran Navgire’s string of ducks has cost her a place, while Simran Shaikh – remembered for clean striking with Gujarat last season – gets a first run this year.
On paper the Warriorz need back-to-back victories to stay alive; the net run-rate maths can wait. For now, Lanning’s side simply need runs on a pitch that has tended to slow up as the evening drags on.
Probable XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (capt), Georgia Voll, Pooja Vastrakar, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Sayali Satghare, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell.
UP Warriorz: Meg Lanning (capt), Amy Jones (wk), Harleen Deol, Shweta Sehrawat, Chloe Tryon, Simran Shaikh, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud.
