Smriti, Renuka shine as RCB demolish Delhi Capitals by eight wickets
Vadodara, Feb 17 (PTI): Smriti Mandhana smashed a blistering 47-ball 81 to power reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a resounding eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League here on Monday.
RCB bowlers, led by Renuka Singh (3/23) and Georgia Wareham (3/25), produced a disciplined performance to bowl out Delhi for 141 in 19.3 overs.
RCB’s opening duo of Smriti and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (42 from 33 balls; 7x4) made the target look effortless, forging a commanding 107-run partnership in just 55 balls before Richa Ghosh (11 not out from 5 balls) sealed the chase with a six in 16.2 overs.
The Indian vice-captain Smriti smashed 10 fours and three sixes, dominating the bowlers with her signature sweeps, inside-out drives, and a towering pull over deep mid-wicket off Marizanne Kapp.
She reached her fastest fifty of the tournament in just 27 balls, setting the tone for RCB’s clinical chase.
Danni provided solid support, striking seven boundaries, keeping the momentum going.
The English batter survived a dropped catch at long-off when Jemimah Rodrigues spilled a sitter with Danni on 34.
The duo's staggering opening stand in just 10 overs, left Delhi with no answers.
RCB stormed to 50 in just five overs, ensuring there was no let-up.
Smriti's powerful six off Arundhati Reddy over long-off was an early statement of intent, while back-to-back boundaries off Shikha Pandey further dismantled Delhi’s bowling attack.
The toss also proved crucial as RCB’s decision to bowl first paid off.
With dew making it difficult for Delhi’s bowlers to grip the ball, the spinners struggled, allowing Smriti and Danni to dominate the chase.
With this emphatic win, RCB flexed their batting firepower and bowling discipline to lead the standings with two wins out of two.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Delhi had a solid powerplay, reaching 55/1, but RCB struck back with a double blow in the seventh over, triggering a dramatic collapse.
Jemimah, who was looking fluent with a 34 off 22 balls (4x4, 2x6), was stumped by Richa while attempting a reverse sweep.
Five balls later, captain Meg Lanning fell for 18, mistiming a short ball from Georgia Wareham, caught by Ellyse Perry at square leg.
Renuka continued her magic, dismissing Annabel Sutherland (19) in the 11th over, just when she was looking dangerous after hitting Bisht for a six.
The Indian pacer had earlier made an impact in the first over itself, removing Shafali Verma for a golden duck.
Despite surviving an umpire’s call for LBW earlier, Jemimah's dismissal swung the momentum in RCB’s favour.
Lanning played some elegant strokes to rebuild, but Delhi lost their last five wickets in six overs, crumbling under sustained pressure.
Wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Bryce chipped in with a 19-ball 23, but Wareham got the better of her as Delhi failed to last the distance.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
