NEW DELHI: Under the captaincy of
Smriti Mandhana
, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clinched their first Women's Premier League (WPL) title by triumphing over Delhi Capitals in a nail-biting final at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
After the final, the RCB skipper engaged in a post-match press conference, during which her pivotal role in securing the title for RCB was juxtaposed with Kohli's tenure at the IPL franchise, evoking discussions on the contrasting fortunes of the superstars.
Mandhana and Kohli share the same No. 18 jersey for RCB, and that has sparked heightened excitement among their respective fan bases. This similarity has shifted attention towards speculation surrounding when Kohli will secure his maiden IPL title for the Bangalore-based franchise.
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When asked about the possibility of Kohli's first IPL title, Mandhana hesitantly replied, "As I said earlier, title is one thing, but jo dusre No. 18 ne achieve kiya hai India k liye (but what the other No. 18 has achieved for India), that is huge. So I don't think the comparison is right in terms of where my career is and what he has already achieved.
"I don't like comparison because what he has achieved is really great, and he has been an inspirational person. The title doesn't define a lot of things. We all respect him, and the respect in Indian cricket should be right up there for Virat. I wouldn't term it as 18-18, it's nothing but an inspiration. Jersey number is just a personal choice. It doesn't define how he plays cricket or how I play cricket. He has been an inspiration in a lot of aspects for us," the 27-year-old added.
Since the beginning of IPL in 2008, the 35-year-old batting maestro has played in all 16 seasons for RCB, having amassed 7263 runs from 237 matches. His mammoth tally of runs includes 50 half-centuries and seven centuries at an average strike-rate of 130.02.
As RCB begin their campaign with a high-octane clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 22, fans will be expecting Kohli's side to emulate the heroics of Mandhana's girls.
English (US) ·