Bengaluru, Feb 25 : Sabbhineni Meghana, who made a 44-ball 53 in Royal Challengers Bangalore's two-run win over UP Warriorz in WPL 2024, revealed captain Smriti Mandhana had asked her to utilise the power-play as much as possible.

Playing for the RCB for the first time, Meghana played some stunning shots while stitching a match-defining 71-run partnership with Richa Ghosh. The fourth-wicket stand between the duo boosted RCB to go from 54/3 to a solid 157/6, which was enough to get their campaign off to a winning start.

"Smriti just told me this is my first time going one down. I was an opening batter all these years. So she was just telling me, like, utilize the power play as much as you can. Get those boundaries like how you bat naturally in the powerplay.

"So even in the role clarity meetings we had, that's what we were discussing, that if there's an early wicket, you walk in and you still use the power play. There's no pressure on you to stay there or whatever. So I was just in my head, that if it's in my range, I just have to go for it," said Meghana in the post-match press conference.

Meghana was dropped on 20 and 22 before reaching her fifty in 40 balls, which enthralled the sell-out crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. "That step out six off Rajeshwari (Gayakwad). That was good. And also the late cut I've played, which I don't usually play.

"It's just that there's no pressure batting with her. We are getting those boundaries, singles, there's no pressure. Like almost eight to ten runs per over easily we were getting. We wanted to continue that as long as possible so that we can get a good total on the board," she added.

Meghana also appreciated the crowd for their support towards RCB playing their first home match of WPL 2024. "It (the fans' support) really got me pumped up. I don't know, like I was in a completely different zone. There's nothing I could hear. It was just me and the ball. Yeah, it's obviously RCB. I have been always a huge RCB fan, me and my sister, from the last ten years, so it was really a nice feeling playing here."

After the stunning batting display from Meghana and Richa, Asha Shobana Joy dismissed Vrinda Dinesh and Tahlia McGrath in the span of three deliveries in the ninth over. She then took out Shweta Sehrawat, Grace Harris and Kiran Navgire in the 17th over to end with figures of 5-22, registering the first five-wicket haul taken by an Indian bowler in the WPL.

Meghana remarked Asha had been a matchwinner throughout and the WPL is now providing her a massive platform to showcase her talent in front of a wide audience. 'I have known Asha for the last 15 years. She has been such a great bowler. I think it's a great platform for her to show her potential and she's doing it brilliantly.'

"So she's always been a match winner. We play for South Central Railway team as well, so, yeah, even there she used to be like, she's a really good match winner for us and, yeah, I think she's just doing what she's used to do," she concluded.

RCB's next match will be against Gujarat Giants at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.

/IANS