Smriti Mandhana fumes in anger as RCB fielders drop sitter catch in WPL
- Published - February 25, 2025 10:25:11
- Updated - February 25, 2025 10:33:12

Just when it seemed the Warriorz were about to lose the match, in the ninth match WPL 2025 played on Monday, February 24, RCB fielders buttered an easier catch against UP Warriorz. When defending 181 runs for victory at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, four RCB players crowded the backward square leg area waiting for a catch – and the ball landed in safe territory. it was an opportunity that could have changed the game.
It was hardly surprising that RCB captain Smriti Mandhana was unhappy with the missed opportunity. As the UP Warriorz openers blazed a trail at the top of the run-chase, frustration mounted within Mandhana. In the second over of the UP Warriorz innings, opening batter Dinesh Vrinda pulled RCB fast bowler Kim Garth for what appeared to be a boundary. But Vrinda totally fluffed her stroke.
Fortunately for her and the UP Warriorz team, the ball dropped between four RCB players fielding in the backward square leg area, leaving captain Smriti Mandhana bemused by her team’s Pakistan-like fielding performance. This major let-off not only spared the UP Warriorz, but the RCB bowlers, who had to defend a large score, were in hot water.
RCB batted first, making 180-6 in 20 overs. Number three Ellyse Perry scored the bulk of the runs, remaining not out at 90 off 56 balls, with nine fours and three mighty sixes. It was a calculated act of brutality and a reminder of why Perry is one of the most dangerous batswomen in the world.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge scored 57 off only 41 balls, opening the batting following captain Smriti Mandhana’s early exit. The middle-order now had all the momentum it needed, thanks to Wyatt-Hodge’s blinding fifty. Her alliance with Perry was instrumental in posting a competitive total for the team.
Bowlers Chinelle Henry, captain Deepti Sharma, and Tahlia McGrath each took one wicket for the UP Warriorz. Yet their bowlers and fielders managed to limit the Royal Challengers to an even bigger score. But their fielding was remarkable – unlike that of the RCB – and helped them in their chase.
The incident, and Mandhana’s suppressed anger, illustrate how vital fielding is in cricket. Though the game is often identified with batting and bowling, the matches are won and lost in the field. RCB learned this lesson the hard way.
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