New Delhi, Jan 13 Former India captain Mithali Raj reserved praise for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener Grace Harris after the Australian’s whirlwind knock helped her side claim a top-of-the-table victory in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
Harris launched an impressive attack on her previous franchise, the UP Warriorz, hitting the ball all over the DY Patil Stadium.
Mithali applauded Harris' match-winning blitz and lauded her shot execution. "Grace Harris set the tone right from Deepti Sharma’s first over, playing through the line and taking on the quicks fearlessly. Her timing was impeccable, and the power behind every executed shot was unreal. At one point, even we commentators wondered what line or length could stop her. Set and in full flow, she went berserk, finding gaps, boundaries and sixes with complete ease wherever the ball was bowled,” she said on JioStar.
Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris's opening partnership propelled RCB to a top-of-the-table finish. Speaking of their partnership, she added, "Grace Harris played her natural game aggressively, keeping fans on their toes with five maximums, while Smriti Mandhana played the perfect supportive role, scoring fluently through her chosen shots.
"As captain, Smriti will be delighted with this performance: the opening partnership, putting UPW in to bat, dismissing their top order early, and the bowlers delivering. She’d be thrilled both as a batter and leader with this complete team effort."
Harris' explosive knock powered RCB to a dominant nine-wicket win over UP Warriorz. After UPW slumped to 50/5 following a terrible top-order collapse, a fighting 93-run unbeaten stand between Deandra Dottin and Deepti Sharma helped them reach 143, still well below a competitive total. RCB’s bowlers bowled disciplined spells and kept the pressure throughout.
The chase was one-sided. Harris and Mandhana stitched a blistering 137-run opening stand, racing to 78 in the powerplay alone. Harris decimated the UPW attack, including a 32-run over off Dottin, while Mandhana played the perfect foil. As a result, the 2024 champions cruised home with 7.5 overs to spare, underlining their batting firepower and overall dominance.
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