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With Royal Challengers Bangalore clinching Women's Premier League to register their maiden triumph across the premier league format in both men's and women's categories in India, RCB spinner Asha Shobana said they stuck together as a team throughout the tournament and attained success.
Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry formed the winning partnership that took RCB through while chasing a target of 114 in a keenly contested final against Delhi Capitals here on Sunday. RCB spinners, particularly Shreyanka Patil also contributed as did Sophie Devine and skipper Smriti Mandhana with the bat. Shobana ended the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps in 10 matches at an average of 15.41, including a five-wicket haul. "Throughout our wins and losses, we stuck together as a team. When Richa cried (after losing to DC by 1 run in the league stage) we all cried. When Shreyanka took four wickets in the final, we were all overjoyed. That was our secret," Shreyanka told ANI. "The dream has finally come true," she remarked. Shobana revealed that the wicket was helping the spinners and RCB backed its in-form spinners to make inroads into the Delhi Capitals line-up no matter what the situation. "Wickets were helping the spinners. Also, our spinners were in great form, be it Sophie Molineux, Shreyanka Patil or me. We knew we had quality in our spinners to make a comeback. Smriti (Mandhana, the skipper) was telling us that we were in the game." Shobana said she cannot wait to go to Bengaluru and celebrate the win with the fans, who had been waiting for the franchise to lift a trophy since the inception of IPL back in 2008. "I cannot wait to go to Bengaluru. I have already seen a couple of videos where roads are full, people are chanting our team's name and they are happy. I am grateful to be a part of this team. Bengaluru waited for this cup for so long and they deserve it," she concluded. DC won the toss and elected to bat first. Openers Shafali Varma (44 in 27 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and skipper Meg Lanning (23 in 23 balls, with three fours) started off really well for the team with a quickfire 64-run opening stand. However, Shreyanka Patil (4/12), Sophie Molineux (3/20) and Asha Sobhana (2/14) helped RCB bounce back just after the powerplay and removed Delhi batters one-by-one, triggering a batting collapse. DC was all out for 113 in 18.3 overs. In the chase of 114, RCB put on a 49-run opening stand, powered by Sophie Devine (32 in 27 balls, with five fours and a six). However, RCB was tested by Delhi bowlers in middle overs and Mandhana (31 in 39 balls, with three fours) departed at a crucial juncture to leave RCB at 82/2 in 15 overs. Ellyse Perry (35* in 37 balls, with four boundaries) and Richa Ghosh (17* in 14 balls, with two fours) finished the chase with three balls left. Minnu Mani and Shikha Pandey took a wicket each for DC. This is RCB's first trophy across the WPL and the Indian Premier League (ANI).
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