Vijay Mallya, Jay Shah, Virat Kohli, Chahal, Sehwag hail RCB Women on maiden WPL title

NEW DELHI — Businessman Vijay Mallya, the former owner of the franchise, India cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, former men’s team captain Virat Kohli and Virender Sehwag led scores of Royal Challengers Bangalore fans in congratulating the RCB women’s team for winning the maiden title for the franchise.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Women defeated Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in the final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi with a dominant display to win the title, which most of the RCB supports feel is long due. The long-used phrase of ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’, which translates to ‘this year the cup is ours’, and the ridicule around it came to an end as a far-fetched dream finally became a reality for RCB in winning their first-ever WPL title and become just the second winners in the history of the competition.

While Mallya said the team won the title which was long-due, Kohli and Yuzi Chahal called the title-winners “Superwomen” and “Champions”.

“Heartiest congratulations to the RCB Women’s Team for winning the WPL. It would be a fantastic double if the RCB Men’s Team won the IPL which is long overdue. Good Luck,” Mallya wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Kohli, who interacted with RCB Women captain Smriti Mandhana over a video call, termed the RCB women players “Superwomen” as did Chahal while thousands of franchise fans took to social media to hail the players for their performance.

Chahal put out a post on X in Kannada, which translated to: “Ananda, Paramananda, Paramananda. Congratulations to our RCB Team?”

BCCI secretary Jay Shah also congratulated the RCB team for winning the title. “𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 #𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐖𝐏𝐋 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟐!” he said in his post on X.

Former India opener Virendra Sehwag praised the RCB team for the temperament they showed in crunch situations. “Many congratulations RCB on winning the WPL. Great temperament shown in crunch situations and deserving winners. #WPLFinal,” said Sehwag.

Jay Shah hails WPL as ‘celebration of women’s cricket’, praises Mandhana for exemplary performance; thanks everyone for making event a success

NEW DELHI — Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Sunday congratulated Royal Challengers Bangalore for winning the title in Women’s Premier League (WPL) Season 2 and conveyed his “heartfelt” thanks to everyone involved in making the season another resounding success.

While hailing Smriti Mandhana for leading the charge from the front as she contributed with her bat and showing “exceptional captaincy” in “steering RCB to a well-deserved title”, Shah called the tournament a spectacular celebration of women’s cricket and also noted the overseas players for showcasing their brilliance. “What a spectacular celebration of women’s cricket it has been! From outstanding performances to electrifying crowd support, this tournament has truly been a testament to the growing prowess of women’s cricket in India,” Jay Shah said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

He praised Smriti Mandhana for her brilliant contributions towards the RCB Women’s maiden title triumph in WPL. “Leading the charge with exemplary skill and leadership, @mandhana_smriti has not only contributed with her batting but also with her exceptional captaincy, steering RCB to a well-deserved title,” he said.

The BCCI secretary also noted that the tournament lived up to its reputation of unearthing emerging stars. “Throughout the tournament, overseas players showcased brilliance, but what truly shines is the platform this tournament has provided for our local talent. Many emerging stars have been unearthed, promising a bright future for Indian women’s cricket,” said Jay Shah.

Shah also thanked everyone involved in making WPL Season 2 a huge success and asked them to continue to champion women’s cricket. “A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for making this WPL season another resounding success! Your unwavering support and enthusiasm have truly made this a memorable journey. Let’s continue to champion women’s cricket and celebrate the incredible talent it brings to the forefront,” wrote Jay Shah in his post on X.

Spinners Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Molineux, and Asha Sobhana took nine wickets between them while Ellyse Perry showed calmness with an unbeaten 35 to help RCB win the WPL 2024 title with an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Sunday.