Smriti Mandhana, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has been struggling in the Women’s Premier League (WPL)

Smriti Mandhana, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), continued her dismal streak in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 when she was out for a duck in Match 13 against the UP Warriorz (UPW) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

The southpaw has struggled against off-spinners throughout the competition, and Deepti Sharma of the UPW continued the trend. Deepti made the decision to bowl stump-to-stump by crossing the wicket and denying Mandhana any space.

Smriti Mandhana chose to go for a slog sweep against the spin because she thought she needed to start quickly. The ball smashed into her stumps, but she absolutely missed it. While Mandhana was sad upon realising the shot was not on, Deepti Sharma was understandably overjoyed.

However, the lack of runs from her bat has put additional pressure on other teammates. With important games coming up for RCB, it will be imperative for Mandhana to come back strongly and lead by example if they hope to make it to the finals.