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]]>Led by an exceptional captain’s knock from Smriti Mandhana and a brilliant supporting innings from Georgia Voll, RCB chased down a challenging target of 204 with two balls to spare, joining Mumbai Indians as the most successful teams in the history of the league.
Mandhana was in sublime form, scoring a majestic 87 off just 41 deliveries, while Voll played the perfect foil with a fluent 79 from 54 balls. The duo stitched together a record-breaking 165-run partnership for the second wicket, which completely swung the contest in RCB’s favour.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals posted an imposing total of 203 for four after being asked to bat first. Captain Jemimah Rodrigues led the charge with a classy 57 off 37 balls, while Chinelle Henry provided late fireworks with a rapid 35 from just 15 deliveries. Laura Wolvaardt remained unbeaten on 44 from 25 balls, and Lizelle Lee contributed a brisk 37 off 30 balls to ensure a strong finish.
RCB’s chase began with an early setback as Grace Harris departed cheaply, but Mandhana and Voll quickly steadied the innings. They scored freely against both pace and spin, punishing anything overpitched and pulling short deliveries with authority. RCB reached 100 at the halfway stage, needing 104 runs from the final 10 overs.
Mandhana brought up her half-century in just 23 balls, hammering Sneh Rana for a boundary after already striking two sixes in the over. Voll matched her aggression, finding gaps with ease and clearing the ropes when required.
The pair continued to dominate as RCB surged to 150 in 14 overs, reducing the equation to 54 runs from 36 balls. Voll’s dismissal to Minnu Mani briefly raised Delhi’s hopes, but RCB held their nerve in the closing overs to seal a memorable victory.
Earlier in the match, RCB bowlers began tightly, conceding just nine runs in the first three overs. However, a costly fourth over from Sayali Satghare allowed Delhi to regain momentum, with Lee smashing consecutive sixes. Shafali Verma was later dismissed by Arundhati Reddy, while Nadine de Klerk removed the dangerous Lee to halt Delhi’s progress.
Despite a strong partnership between Rodrigues and Wolvaardt, RCB managed to restrict further damage and executed their chase with composure to clinch the title in a repeat of the 2024 final.
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]]>The post Smriti Mandhana Delays Wedding After Father Suffers Sudden Health Emergency appeared first on The Edge Media.
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According to her manager Tuhin Mishra, Shrinivas Mandhana began feeling unwell during breakfast and his condition continued to decline, prompting the family to call an ambulance and rush him to a hospital where he is now under continuous observation.
Mishra explained that Smriti’s close bond with her father made it impossible for her to continue with the ceremony while he remained unwell and she has chosen to wait until his recovery before moving ahead with any wedding plans. He added that the family was shocked by the sudden turn of events and requested privacy as they focus on his treatment.
The family doctor Naman Shah stated that Shrinivas Mandhana had complained of pain on the left side of his chest around 1:30 in the afternoon, which was identified as angina.
After being moved to the hospital, tests including an ECG showed elevated cardiac enzyme levels and his blood pressure was also high. The medical team is working to stabilise him and will consider angiography, if his condition worsens.
Shah mentioned that Smriti and her family are in constant touch with the doctors and the hope is that, his condition will improve by the next day. Celebrations for the weeklong wedding festivities had already begun in Sangli before the health emergency disrupted the preparations.
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]]>The post Shantha Rangaswamy Suggests Harmanpreet Kaur Step Down as India Women’s Captain appeared first on The Edge Media.
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According to Rangaswamy, Harmanpreet’s tactical decisions can sometimes be inconsistent, and freeing her from the responsibility of captaincy would help her focus purely on her game. She believes the change should be made with the team’s long-term future in mind, particularly with the next ODI World Cup in 2029 and the T20 World Cup scheduled in the UK next year.
Smriti Mandhana Seen as Natural Successor
Rangaswamy identified star opener Smriti Mandhana, aged 29, as the ideal choice to take over the captaincy across formats. She said that Harmanpreet still has three to four years of top-level cricket left and can make significant contributions as a senior batter if not burdened with leadership. Citing Rohit Sharma’s recent case—where selectors decided to move on from him despite his Champions Trophy win earlier this year—Rangaswamy stressed that leadership transitions should always prioritize the team’s long-term growth.
Concerns Over Bowling Despite World Cup Win
While expressing pride over India’s title victory on home soil, Rangaswamy also pointed out areas that need improvement. She mentioned that although the batting lineup looks settled and strong, bowling remains a concern, and fielding standards could improve further. She noted that Australia’s defeat in the semifinals was largely due to their weaker bowling attack, whereas India’s batters carried the team to success.
Historic Win Expected to Inspire Future Generations
Rangaswamy predicted that the World Cup triumph will have a transformative impact on women’s cricket in India. She believes the victory will inspire countless young girls to take up the sport and that its full effect will be visible over the next decade. She also praised outgoing chief selector Neetu David and her team for assembling a championship-winning squad.
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]]>The post India Suffers Major Setback as Pratika Rawal Ruled Out of Women’s World Cup Due to Injury appeared first on The Edge Media.
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The 25-year-old twisted her right ankle while fielding in the final ball of the 21st over at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. As she sprinted from deep midwicket to stop the ball, her foot got caught in the turf, causing her to collapse in visible pain.
Although a stretcher was brought onto the field, Rawal managed to walk off with the help of support staff. A BCCI official later confirmed that the nature of the injury makes her unavailable for the upcoming knockout stages.
“The way she fell, it was clear she wouldn’t recover in time. It’s a very unfortunate situation,” the official said.
Rawal had been one of India’s standout performers in the tournament, scoring 308 runs in six innings at an average of 51.33. She notched up her maiden World Cup century against New Zealand and also became the joint-fastest player to reach 1,000 runs in women’s ODIs. Her partnership with **Smriti Mandhana** at the top of the order has been crucial to India’s success so far.
India is set to face defending champions Australia in the semifinal on Thursday, with the final scheduled for Sunday. Adding to the team’s concerns, Richa Ghosh’s fitness also remains uncertain after she injured her finger against New Zealand and missed the Bangladesh match.
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