Ahead of the start of Women’s Premier League (WPL 2025), Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Smriti Mandhana offered an interesting insight on the team’s fans. The defending champions will kick-off their title defense by taking on Gujarat Giants in their first match on Friday. RCB’s fanbase, known as the Bold Army, have a reputation for being the most crazy when it comes to showering love on their team.
How RCB fans are different from others?
In reply to a question on the captains’ meet in Star Sports Press Room, Mandhana revealed that RCB’s motive was to play good cricket and set that as a culture. She noted that appreciation and criticism from the RCB fans was more compared to the other teams. Smriti stressed on the fact that this meant the team should be more cohesive as a group.
“I think for us, we don’t think much about what’s happening around. It is really important to focus on playing good cricket as a team, that’s a culture we are trying to set as a team because the fanbase of RCB is such that appreciation and criticism will be a little more as compared to other teams. It is important for us to stick together as a group,” said Smriti.
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“Who will not want people chanting RCB everywhere you travel, so that’s a big positive,” she added.
RCB broke their trophy drought last year, and Mandhana’s side will now look to defend their crown. Sophie Devine has taken a break, while Sophie Molineux and Kate Cross are ruled out. Ellyse Perry, their hero from 2024, is carrying a hip injury. To counter these setbacks, RCB have recruited Charlie Dean, Kim Garth, and Heather Graham. Raghvi Bist is one to watch in the middle order, and VJ Joshitha, an Under-19 star, adds pace-bowling strength.
RCB squad for WPL 2025
Nuzhat Parween, Joshitha Vj, Richa Ghosh, Danni Wyatt, Kanika Ahuja, Sabbineni Meghana, Ekta Bisht, Kim Garth, Shreyanka Patil, Ellyse Perry, Prema Rawat, Smriti Mandhana, Georgia Wareham, Raghvi Bist, Heather Graham, Jagravi Pawar, Renuka Singh, Charlie Dean
