Buoyant RCB chase fourth straight win

It is a short turnaround for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who are back in action within 24 hours of sealing their third successive win in the WPL. The quick return to the field leaves little room for recovery, but with momentum firmly on their side, the Smriti Mandhana-led team will look to push for a fourth straight victory. They face Delhi Capitals in what will be the final WPL fixture in Navi Mumbai, a game that also offers RCB an opportunity to consolidate their early hold at the top of the table.

A last-ball thriller against Mumbai Indians was followed by a commanding win over UP Warriorz before Gujarat Giants put RCB under pressure. But from 43/4, they engineered a fine turnaround, with Radha Yadav's continued promotion to No. 5 finally delivering the desired return. RCB will, however, be keen for greater contributions from the top order, particularly skipper Smriti Mandhana, who has endured a couple of low scores. Their bowling, meanwhile, has been consistently effective, with Lauren Bell, Shreyanka Patil and Nadine de Klerk accounting for the bulk of the wickets across the three matches so far.

The Capitals enter this contest after a couple of days' break, having finally opened their account this season. A comprehensive loss to MI was followed by a narrow four-run defeat against the Giants before a last-ball win over Warriorz got their campaign going. Lizelle Lee has provided the firepower at the top, while Shafali Verma, after a couple of low scores, showed signs of recovery with a scrappy 36. New captain Jemimah Rodrigues is also due for runs. With the ball, Marizanne Kapp has played a containing role, Nandni Sharma has impressed as a wicket-taker in her maiden WPL season, and Shafali's bowling proved effective in the previous match - something DC will hope to replicate through another collective bowling effort.

When: Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai

What to expect: Chasing sides have enjoyed greater success in Navi Mumbai, winning five of the nine matches played here so far, including MI's successful chase of 193 - the highest in this edition so far. That trend was briefly bucked when RCB successfully defended 182 against the Giants - the first time in five games at the venue that a team batting first emerged victorious. With the surface offering value for strokeplay early on but slowing down as the game progresses, captains may continue to prefer chasing, while totals in excess of 170 remain firmly in play.

Team news:

Delhi Capitals: Rodrigues' side have fielded the same XI in all three matches so far and are likely to stick with the same combination.

Probable XI: Lizelle Lee (wk), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Chinelle Henry, Marizanne Kapp, Sneh Rana, Niki Prasad, Minnu Mani, Nandni Sharma, Shree Charani

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Linsey Smith is yet to make an impact, having gone wicketless so far while proving expensive. There is a case for RCB to bring in an additional front-line batter like Georgia Voll, who can also contribute with the ball, but it remains to be seen if they opt to make that change.

Probable XI: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Dayalan Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Linsey Smith / Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell