Grace in the name, and she is the one who can play elegantly! Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Grace Harris that day during their reserved fixture against the UP Warriorz seemed to be rushing to the team hotel. With a terrific 40-ball 85, she took her team to victory, and RCB got their second win in a row for the season.
The bowlers’ successful efforts resulted in the Warriorz being limited to 143/5, and it was then that the Australian batter took over control of the second innings. After Grace Harris went wild, Smriti Mandhana was left only to take singles and give the latter the strike.
Consequently, the 2024 IPL champions now occupy the number one spot on the points table, having an impressive run rate of 1.964 after just two games. RCB and the Gujarat Giants (GG) are the only teams in the tournament that still have not lost a match.
Nevertheless, when it comes to RCB, the discussions about their batting have never ceased. The XI they fielded against the Mumbai Indians (MI) left many spectators confused. Nevertheless, captain Smriti Mandhana admitted that Grace Harris would be the one opening the batting for the franchise this season.
“Yeah, we had a little bit of discussion on how we want the batting order to look like because she can do middle order as well because that’s what she does for the Aussie team. But she does open for the Brisbane Heat at Big Bash,” said Mandhana after the game.
Why Grace Harris as opener is a smart decision
The 32-year-old just gave a pictorial representation of why it is logical for her to open the batting. The Australian has the ability to go berserk and the bowlers to the cleaners at will. Moreover, she has a strike-rate of 155.52 in T20Is, which makes her a lethal option at the top.
Though most of her T20I innings have come in the middle order, she plays as an opener in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). She is closing in on 3,,000 runs in the Aussie franchise league at a strike-rate of around 131.
On top of that, RCB would have to shuffle their batting order, which has been adversely affected by the departure of Ellyse Perry, who dropped out of the season for personal reasons. Nadine de Klerk’s brilliance took them over the line in the first game of the season, and it was Grace Harris this time.
That being said, the 2024 WPL champions will need to come up with a strategy to strengthen their middle-order in the best way possible. The middle-order is where the franchise is facing the most challenges concerning their batting depth being a major concern.
“I think we all were very, very clear of how dangerous she can be up front. And if she gets going, it’s almost you take away the match from the opposition. So, yeah, we thought we’ll back her in the powerplay,” said the RCB skipper about Grace Harris.