‘We are all starting it as new……’ – Smriti Mandhana shows optimism for RCB ahead of WPL 2024

Team India’s vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, has spoken about how fans are eagerly waiting for RCB to win its maiden title. Notably, the IPL franchise has reached the finals around two times but hasn’t won a title since 2008. However, fans have had expectations from RCB captain Smriti Mandhana to win the maiden title in the WPL 2023; however, the side finished up at the bottom of the table with just two wins in the league stage.

However, Smriti Mandhana is not thinking about the failures of WPL 2023 and is currently focusing on giving her best in the upcoming WPL 2024. The 27-year-old batter aims to bring the maiden title to RCB to give massive happiness to loyal RCB fans who have been waiting to win the title since 2008.

The left-handed batter has also talked about the massive changes in women’s cricket history over the past seven to eight years. In addition, the opening batter is ecstatic, as now parents and young girls are looking to cricket as well as equally as professionals. The top-order batter also shows happiness for WPL and equal pay from the Indian Cricket Board, which pushes them and encourages them to give their best.

Definitely, RCB is a massive franchise and the only thing more than pressure: Smriti Mandhana

“For us as RCB women’s team, we are all starting it as new. We are not thinking about what has happened in terms of RCB as a franchise. Definitely, RCB is a massive franchise and the only thing more than pressure, if we go on to win the title, the kind of happiness that the loyal RCB fans will get is something which I am looking forward to,” Smriti Mandhana said being quoted by Sportskeeda.

“The change (in women’s cricket) has been massive in the last 7-8 years, but the massive change I would say is the way people are looking at women’s cricket and that is a really good thing. Apart from WPL and equal pay, I think this has been one massive change in the way people watch women’s cricket,” she added further.