Richa Ghosh scores a lofted drive over extra cover for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the WPL 2024 final against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. The moment the team scored the winning goal, captain Smitty Mandhana jumped from his seat. Renuka Thakur sprinted onto the field, followed by the rest of the players. There was a jubilant celebration from the RCB players, and Richa and Elise Perry, another batsman who hit the chase strike, were hugged by their teammates.
There was a photo taken during a postgame party on the field, and a video that later went viral on social media. Virat Kohli, former India captain and captain of the men’s RCB team, made a video call to Mandhana after the match, before the rest of the players joined together.
Kohli’s gesture was praised by RCB fans across social media. However, the attempt failed as Mandana later revealed the details of the conversation, saying that she could not hear the words due to the loud cheers from the crowd at the venue.
She said: “I couldn’t hear anything he was saying because it was so loud. He just gave a thumbs up and I just gave a thumbs up. I’m going to see him.”
However, the Indian vice-captain recalled the “little pep talk” Kohli gave during the first year of the WPL last year, when RCB finished fourth with just two wins from eight matches.
“He had a bright smile and seemed happy. I remember him coming in last year and giving a little pep talk really helped him personally and the team as a whole. He’s a part of this franchise. I saw happiness on his face for the last 15 years, but I couldn’t hear him because of the noise, so when I went to Bangalore I might talk to him,” she added.
Mandhana’s comments in the post-match press conference revealed that the women’s team will be attending the RCB unboxing event in Bangalore on March 19, while the men’s team, led by Faf du Plessis, will be the defending champions. They will start the IPL 2024 season against champions Chennai Super Kings. March 22.
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