WPL 2024: Bound by brilliance, Smriti Mandhana and Meg Lanning eye maiden title in epic showdown

There’s a lot that binds Smriti Mandhana and Meg Lanning together. Both are introverts learning to open up in a world that loves to overshare. Both are gifted batters who have given bowlers around the world nightmares aplenty. Both now find themselves on either side of the sparkling Women’s Premier League trophy, the silverware they will bid for on behalf of their teams — Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, respectively — in the final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Sunday.

As they walked in to address the pre-final press conference, one couldn’t help but see the gap that separates the two, even if they’re both part of the same journey. One is a retired veteran with seven World Cup triumphs across formats to her name, now playing in franchise leagues around the world for the pure joy of playing cricket. The other is a pro in her own terms, but one who is now headed on that path towards greatness, potentially India’s next captain even.

So what can Smriti do to ‘outsmart’ the tactical genius of an institution like Lanning? It was a question that made them both smile, and Lanning looked embarrassed.

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“I think we give a lot of importance to the role of captainship. I think it is as good as his or her team,” Smriti said as Lanning nodded in agreement. “Nothing changes on Sunday. We’re taking on a good Delhi Capitals side that has played some amazing cricket over the last two seasons. Nothing changes for us. One thing cricket has taught me is that we have to stay in the present. I have not had that conversation with my other India teammates on how to outsmart anyone. We’re just focusing on playing good cricket, and whoever does that is going to win.”

That said, no one knows the praise and brickbats that come along with being the face of a side, much like Lanning does, and she underlined how far Smriti has come in her leadership journey over the last few years.

“Whenever we came up against India, we always spoke about how to get Smriti out early because we knew just how dangerous she could be. She’s a proven matchwinner in any condition. She’s on her own leadership journey where she’ll go through her own ups and downs, and it’s starting to sound like she’s starting to understand the ins and outs of that, and obviously, she’s done an awesome job with RCB this year,” Lanning said.

Lanning’s deadpan expressions, even in the face of a loss, are the stuff of legend. Earlier this week, Smriti too spoke about captains needing to keep their emotions in check when leading a side, be it in joy or sorrow, victory or defeat. All that went out of the window for RCB and its skipper during the Eliminator. Animated celebrations, doubly dramatic oohs and aahs when an advantage wasn’t capitalised on all saw Smriti be the most expressive one has seen her be on the cricket field.

“Definitely, the emotions kicked in. That said, the group was really calm, no matter what was happening out there. Even if it looked extreme, after winning, we had a bit of a celebration because sometimes, however you want to control emotions, they come out. I am happy we have experienced something like this, for me personally too. It is good sometimes to express these feelings, and it only gives this group more confidence,” she admitted with a chuckle.

While the mic and framing checks were on by the broadcasters, the duo were fervently discussing crowd support.

“You guys have more fans than us,” Lanning pointed out.

“There have been people in Delhi Capitals colours too,” Smriti responded.

“…but cheering for RCB,” Lanning chuckled.

This has been the case for the entire Delhi leg of the Women’s Premier League. A certain Delhi native who dons the number 18 for RCB Men makes this a team that is well-loved in the capital city. In the DC vs RCB game, in which the latter heartbreaking fell short by a run, the crowds rallied behind RCB, sometimes at the cost of their own home side.

Both are part of teams that have a side in the hugely popular men’s Indian Premier League. A win for either will be the first time the franchise wins the Indian domestic franchise tournament across genders.

Smriti is careful to distance herself from comparisons.

“Firstly, I think this year it was very important for us to not connect anything with the men’s side because it brings a lot of pressure with it. The idea was to focus on what was happening now and not on the 15 years gone by on the men’s side. So we’re not really correlating anything that’s happened with the men,” Smriti added.

Capitals also carry the experience of playing in last year’s final, but Lanning clarified that the side’s slate is wiped clean coming into the summit clash this time.

“I don’t think we’ve thought too much about what happened last year. Like Smriti said, what matters is what happens tomorrow. Even the events of the season don’t matter; it’s how you play on the day that matters—preparing on the day, adapting on your feet, and taking on what’s ahead of you. The experience of last year, I guess, helps in a way because we know we’ve been there before. But it doesn’t drive us in any different way. We don’t feel we need to get one back. We’ve played some really good cricket throughout the tournament, and we’re happy to give ourselves the opportunity to do that again. Hopefully we can execute well where we need to,” she said.

A new winner awaits its crown at the Kotla this weekend after two legs of intense action on the field. Come Sunday, history stands to be made either way. Should RCB win, Smriti’s journey as a leader gets a valuable shot in the arm, as will the franchise, which has been trophy-starved and chided for the same year on year. Should the Capitals win, the legend of Lanning will finally have a franchise trophy added to its illustrious pages. Regardless, quite a contest awaits.