Royal Challengers Bangalore began their WPL 2024 campaign with a thrilling 2-run win over UP Warriorz thanks to Sobhana Asha’s five-fer, which turned the tide of the game in favour of the home side at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
RCB managed to put up a score of 157 runs for the loss of six wickets and managed to restrict UPW to 115 for seven in the 20 overs to open their second season of the women’s T20 franchise league with a close win.
Asha became the first Indian to register a five-wicket haul in the history of WPL and only the third bowler to accomplish the feat after Marizanne Kapp and Tara Norris did the same in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
A visibly emotional Asha expressed how chuffed she was to have helped her side claim a home win to kickstart the campaign at the presentation ceremony where she was rightfully bestowed with the Player of the Match award.
“A lot of struggle and a lot of hard work,” the 32-year-old began.
“I’m not thinking about my 5 wickets, we won our first game at our home ground. Very happy that I contributed to the victory and that too at Chinnaswamy,” she said.
Asha broke the partnership between Vrinda Dinesh and Tahlia McGrath as she sent both the UPW batters back to the hut in the eighth over of the game that gave RCB the upper hand in the early stages of the game!
“I knew the situation would be something like this and I visualised it. I did a lot of homework,” she added.
But, what made was all the more special for the leggie was her fourth and final over of the day, in which she picked up three wickets to complete her five-wicket haul. The 17th over also proved to be the decisive moment in the game as the spinner dismissed the big-hitting Grace Harris, the set Shweta Sherawat and Kiran Navgire.
“I saw Grace going against the turn, thought if I pull the length back and across, I might get a top-edge or bowled. I was ready to get smashed, but I was sure I would get them,” she concluded.
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