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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Siddaramaiah in 'helpless situation', under some 'compulsion', claims Cong MLA Rajanna
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Bengaluru (PTI): Amid claims that Siddaramaiah's confidants are being targeted within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, following recent actions against some party leaders, senior MLA K N Rajanna on Friday alleged that the chief minister is "helpless" and under some "compulsion" as he is not standing up to defend his people.
The comments from the former minister, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, came after Congress took action against some of its minority community leaders--considered close to the CM--following allegations of an internal conspiracy against the party candidate in the Davanagere South bypoll held on April 9.
Rajanna himself was sacked from the Ministry last August on the instructions of the party high command, following his alleged comments criticising top party leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" charge.
"There will be vested interests in the party who will try to conspire against those who have been loyal to the party and want the party to grow for the welfare of the people. Nothing can be done about it. What we expect from our chief minister is that when such a situation arises, he should stand strong, but he is not standing and that is a sad thing," Rajanna said in response to a question whether Siddaramaiah's followers were being targeted in Congress.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "... I don't know what his thinking is. But we did not expect such a helpless situation from Siddaramaiah."
When asked who had made Siddaramaiah helpless, the former minister said, "I won't say who, you understand it yourself."
"People are saying that those close to Siddaramaiah are being targeted...I don't know what compulsions Siddaramaiah has. If he tells, we can know, but he won't say. I don't know under what compulsion he is following this neutrality," he said, adding that the CM is helpless and a person becomes "helpless" when his/her voice shrinks.
The Congress recently suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from the party's primary membership and relieved another MLC Naseer Ahmed from the post of chief minister's political secretary. This action came after a group of Muslim leaders accused members of their own party of "conspiracy" to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action against Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, speculation is that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face action during the next cabinet rejig, as these three wanted a Muslim to get the bypoll ticket in Davanagere South, which the party gave to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth Mallikarjun. They also did not actively participate in campaigning.
Citing a Kannada saying that there is no punishment for the mistakes committed by the King, Rajanna, in what seemed to be a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asked, "Does sharing a stage with a person (referring to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev) who said, 'Who is Rahul Gandhi? I don't know,' not amount to indiscipline?"
Referring to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement on whether poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj, he said, "...but this person (again referring to Shivakumar) goes there and compliments UP CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela. He also goes to Ambani family marriage, while Rahul Gandhi did not even accept the invitation."
"I'm not saying that action should be taken against this person too, but the party will have to observe these things also," he added.
Rajanna further pointed out that no action was taken when veteran Congress leader and late MLA from Davanagere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa made a speech seeking votes for BJP candidate B Y Raghavandra during Shivamogga Lok Sabha polls, and asked if this did not amount to indiscipline.
"The same people were at the helm then (referring to Shivakumar as KPCC chief), even a verbal warning was not given to him (Shivashankarappa)," he said, adding that, similarly no action was taken when Samarth Shamanur filed his nomination in Davanagere South before the party announced its candidate for Davanagere South-- that was also an act of indiscipline.
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