Follow UsM Chinnaswamy Stadium is set host the second leg of the Women’s Premier League 2025 (WPL 2025) from February 21 to March 1 with a total of eight games being hosted in the Garden City. It will be the second instance of WPL happening in Bengaluru as the previous edition in 2024 saw the first 11 games being played at this venue.
During the 2024 season, captains who won the toss chose to bowl in all the 11 games. Seven of those games saw teams chasing winning. The average first innings score was around 152 and the average first innings winning score was 178.
Like the first leg in Vadodara, where teams chasing won all the six games, the trend is expected to continue in Bengaluru as well.
Bengaluru has had a history of being a great wicket for the bowlers with a good amount of bounce and carry available for the fast bowlers.
During the previous WPL season, spinners dominated, taking almost 60% of the wickets. The pacers might have taken less wickets, but they averaged and struck at a similar rate of the spinners bowling less overs.
Pacers have done well during powerplay and middle overs having better bowling strike rate compared to spinners.
Spinners have struggled to take wickets with the new ball. But, they have found more success than pacers with the old ball striking at 9.9 in slog overs (16-20).
Spinners dominated in the first five games even though they were slightly expensive compared to pacers. They had a far better strike rate of 17.7 compared to pacers who had 24.3.
The tables turned from game six when the wear and tear of the wicket resulted in pacers getting more help resulting in them striking at 18.3 far better than spinners who struck at 23.1 SR.
All five teams played a minimum of four games in Bengaluru in WPL 2024 with RCB and UPW playing five games each. Gujarat Giants had a terrible time in Bengaluru last year losing all their four games. MI and DC won three of the four games. Whereas, home team RCB won three of five and UP Warriorz lost three out of five games.
Smriti Mandhana has always performed in Bengaluru irrespective of representing RCB or team India. During WPL 2024, she was the highest run scorer in the Bengaluru leg scoring 219 runs at a terrific Strike rate of 154 with two fifties. Meg Lanning too smashed two fifties in four games at this venue last year.
Spinners dominated in Bengaluru last year with top five wicket takers being spinners. Leg spinners in Amelia Kerr, Asha Sobhana and left arm spinners in Radha Yadav, Sophie Ecclestone and Jess Jonassen were amongst wickets with a good bowling SR.
Matches scheduled in Bengaluru in WPL 2025 (February 21 – March 1)
Match 7: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians – February 21 2025
Match 8: Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz – February 22 2025
Match 9: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz - February 24 2025
Match 10: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants - February 25 2025
Match 11: Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz - February 26 2025
Match 12: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants - February 27 2025
Match 13: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians – February 28 2025
Match 14: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals – March 1 2025