Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday drafted in Sneh Rana as replacement for injured Shreyanka Patil for the remainder of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025. File photo
| Photo Credit:  B. Jothi Ramalingam

Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday drafted in Sneh Rana as replacement for injured Shreyanka Patil for the remainder of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025.

Shreyanka, who has played 15 matches for RCB and has scalped 19 wickets with her off-spin, is ruled out of the third edition of tournament due to an unspecified injury.

“Challenges are tough, Shrey. But you’re tougher. We know how hard you tried to get fit before #WPL2025. And how badly you’ll miss being a part of our campaign, and we will carry your energy and spirit with us on the field as well!,” the RCB mentioned in a post on their official X account.

“Get well soon and come back stronger! Can’t wait to see you play in the Red Blue and Gold of RCB next year,” the franchise added.

Shreyanka had also missed the white ball assignments at home against the West Indies and Ireland last year because of an injury.

The 30-year-old Rana, who is an off-spin all-rounder, has previously played for Gujarat Giants in the WPL.

She has joined RCB for Rs 30 lakh.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their title defence with a six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants at Vadodara on Friday.

Sneh Rana has previously played for Gujarat Giants in the WPL.© AFP

India’s spinner Sneh Rana achieved an impressive figure of 10 wickets for 188 runs in the lone test match between South Africa and India at M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai on July 1, 2024
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Player-of-the-match Sneh Rana said that the Indian team never lost its belief even when South Africa mounted a spirited defiance with its batting.

“We always had positive vibes. There was not a single player who was thinking that the match was getting away from us. The match was always inclined towards India. Everyone had the belief that we were going to take the wickets. Not just the players, even the support staff had the same belief – that were going to win the match!” she said after the match on Monday.

“As far as satisfaction is concerned, there’s a lot of satisfaction especially when you beat the best teams; when you give a performance against them at a time when it is needed the most. I think there is nothing more satisfactory than that,” she added.

Asked about her learning from the Test match, she said: “Obviously, the pitch was favouring the batters more than the bowlers. It was difficult. But nowadays, you get pitches like this everywhere. So, it’s all about when to use your variation and when to bowl more stock balls. Laura (Wolvaardt) is one of the best batters in the world. So, how do you prepare against such batters? I think these are the learning to carry forward.”

She was all for playing more Test cricket. “I think Test is one of the best formats of cricket. And the more it is played, the better it is for women’s cricket. Thanks to the BCCI for organising multi-day domestic competition. I think that will also help. According to me, there should be at least two Tests (in a series),” she said.

Indian women’s cricket team at NDTV Indian Of The Year 2024 award ceremony© NDTV