Smriti has been the side\u2019s leading run-getter in WPL 2024 with 259 runs in eight matches, including two half-centuries. As a leader, she\u2019s given an assured look in taking the team to playoffs, which was missing from last year\u2019s tournament, where RCB lost their first five games to be ousted quickly from the race to knockouts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSmriti is having a fabulous tournament with the bat and in her leadership too. The experience of last year\u2019s campaign and having 12 months to plan, review and look at the different aspects of how the team should be has been helpful.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSmriti has been fundamental in all sort of that planning ahead of this tournament and has been very strong in bringing that calmness to the group, which has been really important by Smriti in being the leader on and off the field. So, delighted with her leadership and how she\u2019s dealing with it,\u201d said Williams in the pre-match press conference.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Apart from Smriti, Sabbhineni Meghana has shined for RCB in the matches she\u2019s played, though the right-handed batter didn\u2019t feature in the last few games, with Sophie Devine and Sophie Molineux taking turns to be partnered alongside Smriti at the top in her absence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Williams put it down to RCB trying other combinations, while indicating Meghana has a strong chance to play Friday\u2019s eliminator at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. \u201cMeghana has missed out on the last game or two due to the different combinations that we were trying. It was a really tough decision with her, as she performed really strongly in one of our earlier wins.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut there were some aspects of team combination that we were trying to do different things and Meghana will be under strong consideration as she\u2019s been influential in the start of innings.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Other Indian players like wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, who\u2019s amassed 226 runs, along with two catches, four run-outs and eight stumpings, as well as fast-bowler Renuka Singh Thakur and off-spin all-rounder Shreyanka Patil (4\/26 against Delhi Capitals) have been key figures in RCB\u2019s Indian core performing the job.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThey have been fantastic on and off the field. With myself coming in, getting to know their knowledge of local players and conditions has been fantastic. Their communication in terms of sharing knowledge and experiences has been great. Richa has been stellar with both bat and gloves; she\u2019s been calm in run-chases and situations, so she has been superb really in the tournament.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cRenuka bowls the tough overs in power-play against some of the world\u2019s best players. Though there have been times where she hasn\u2019t got that bit of consistency, she\u2019s bowled some really important overs in certain moments that have really stood up. Shreyanka, after a niggle kept her out of some games, has been superb and is primed up for some really big playoffs games. So, the contribution from Indian players has been amazing in terms of what they bring on the field and also off the field,\u201d added Williams.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
One of the striking aspects of RCB\u2019s campaign has been players stepping up on different days \u2013 like in Delhi leg of WPL 2024, Richa almost took the team over the line in their thrilling clash against Delhi on Sunday, while the experienced Ellyse Perry demolished Mumbai with a sensational 6-15 and made an unbeaten 40 with the bat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIts exciting to qualify for the playoffs and to do that, you certainly need different contributors at different times and that\u2019s what we have been able to do. We certainly haven\u2019t been anywhere near to the perfect game \u2013 but some good performances have got us over the line. We had lots of different contributors at different times and we feel like we are eager to play some good cricket hopefully on Friday and if possible, on Sunday as well,\u201d added Williams.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Williams has coached Adelaide Strikers to consecutive WBBL titles and feels getting the balance right in the bowling combination, where RCB lacked last year and was duly rectified in the mini-auction, should help the team be steady in the playoffs, apart from pointing out catching as the key in Friday\u2019s clash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of experience with T20 and franchise cricket that there are ups and downs in a tournament and the best way to navigate, especially in the down times, is to stay calm and be quite level.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe have been quite consistent with the way we reviewed games, whether we won or lost, and have discussions on the things we have done well, things to improve, style of cricket we want to play.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere has been a real confidence that if we are able to play our best cricket, then we can challenge all teams in the competition \u2013 that\u2019s been something which has been thinking on across and in lead-up to the tournament and so far, it\u2019s been okay.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFrom the auctions, we got a real balance between fast and spin bowling, and we feel we got those options depending on the surface and how it plays out. We have got the bowlers who have asked questions of Mumbai\u2019s batters and have got some real match winners in our batting line-up.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cLooking for those two aspects to complement each other and in times like this, fielding and catching in the small moments is so important \u2013 that will certainly be a big focus for us going tomorrow,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/03\/wpl-2024-smriti-mandhana-has-been-very-strong-in-bringing-calmness-to-the-group-says-rcb-coach-williams.JPG", "alt_img": "WPL 2024: Smriti Mandhana has been very strong in bringing calmness to the group, says RCB coach Wil", "alt_title": "New Delhi : WPL Match Between Mumbai Indians And Royal Challengers Bangalore", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "WPL 2024: Smriti Mandhana Has Been Very Strong In Bringing Calmness To The Group, Says RCB Coach Williams On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "WPL 2024: Smriti Mandhana Has Been Very Strong In Bringing Calmness To The Group, Says RCB Coach Williams, Royal Challengers Bangalore: Ahead of their Eliminator clash against Mumbai Indians in WPL 2024 on Friday, Luke Williams, the head.", "seo_keywords": "Smriti Mandhana, New Delhi, Mumbai Indians, Luke Williams, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sabbhineni Meghana, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Other Indian, Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shreyanka Patil, Delhi Capitals, Ellyse", "tag": "", "tagging": "Smriti Mandhana, New Delhi, Mumbai Indians, Luke Williams, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sabbhineni Meghana, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Other Indian, Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shreyanka Patil, Delhi Capitals", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "wpl-2024-smriti-mandhana-has-been-very-strong-in-bringing-calmness-to-the-group-says-rcb-coach-williams", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "1272", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2024-03-14 15:28:04", "updated": "2024-03-14 15:28:04", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Smriti Mandhana, New Delhi, Mumbai Indians, Luke Williams, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sabbhineni Meghana, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Other Indian, Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shreyanka Patil, Delhi Capitals, Ellyse", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2024-03-14 15:28:04", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": null, "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/wpl-2024-smriti-mandhana-has-been-very-strong-in-bringing-calmness-to-the-group-says-rcb-coach-williams-140337" }