"She's been proactive and bold with her decisions": Sophie Devine heaps praise on Smriti Mandhana

While speaking to JioCinema, Devine said that Mandhana learned from last year's WPL season and has been "fantastic" this season. She added that everyone loves to see the skipper bat.

"It's been fantastic. I think she took a lot of lessons from last season. It was tough going at times, a lot of weight on her shoulders. But she's been fantastic. She's been proactive and bold with her decisions and I think it's seeped through to the rest of the team as well. There's a real calmness within this group. Everyone loves to see Smriti when she's on fire and batting the way she is. I think the confidence coming from the captaincy and on the field is getting through to her batting," Devine was quoted in a release from JioCinema as saying.

When asked about the crowd in M Chinnaswamy Stadium, she added that "it's unbelievable" feeling.

Devine also claimed that the crowd "have grown from last year", and added that "it's like having a 12th player".

"It's unbelievable. It's the biggest crowd I have played in front of in my career. When the RCB chant goes up, it's deafening, it's like having a 12th player out there. I don't envy Smriti at all for trying to get others' attention, you can barely hear yourself speak at times. It's fantastic, the crowds have been fantastic. It's grown from last year with what we were able to do in Mumbai and to see the people of Bengaluru come out," she added.

Recapping RCB's clash against Gujarat Giants, Smriti Mandhana and Sabbhineni Meghana's blitzkrieg helped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) seal a comfortable eight-wicket win over Gujarat Giants (GGT) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024.

Mandhana and Sophie Devine came on the crease for the Bengaluru-based franchise while chasing a 108-run target. The Mandhana-Devine pair made a 32-run partnership until Ashleigh Gardner dismissed the Kiwi batting allrounder in the fourth over of the game. Devine scored only six runs from six and smashed one four with a strike rate of 100.00.

Meghana played a 36-run knock from 28 balls with a strike rate of 128.57. She slammed five fours and one six in the second inning. Meanwhile, Perry hit four fours, powered RCB to 110/2 and sealed a second consecutive win in the T20 tournament.

Earlier in the first inning, GGT displayed a poor performance in the game and could give a target of only 108 runs, which was easily chased by Mandhana's side. (ANI)