Mandhana, a liability for RCB [Source: AFP Photo]The WPL 2026 is going strong at the moment, and the RCB side, led by Smriti Mandhana, sits on top of the table as they became the first team to qualify for the playoffs. The team consists of a plethora of match-winners, with almost everyone chipping in on the tournament. RCB has almost all the bases covered for the playoffs, barring one, and that is the form of their captain.When RCB acquired Mandhana’s services in the inaugural season in 2023, there was high expectations from the Indian opener, but almost four seasons later, she is yet to deliver the goods with the bat.Mandhana's WPL performance in 2026 seasonShe led the franchise to their maiden WPL title in 2024, but even in that season, it was Ellyse Perry who dragged them with her stellar performances in the knockouts. This season too, she has been unimpressive and her overall WPL stats reveal the sorry state of affairs.CriterionSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableDataSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableMatchesSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table7SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableRunsSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table236SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableStrike rateSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table132.58SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table50sSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table1SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table(Mandhana in WPL 2026)In seven WPL 2026 matches, Mandhana has only racked up 236 runs, with a strike rate of 132 as she has failed to deliver in most of the matches.Barring one fifty in the tournament, she couldn’t do much in the remaining six games as RCB approach the playoffs, knowing that their skipper is woefully out of form and they need to rely on others to take them through.Even in the last game against Mumbai Indians, Mandhana was dismissed cheaply as Richa Ghosh had to save their blushes against a quality bowling attack.Mandhana's poor overall record in WPLAlmost four WPL seasons are over, and Mandhana is yet to show the consistency that she showcases for India at the international level, and the stats tell the story of her performances for RCB.CriterionSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableDataSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableMatchesSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table33SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableRunsSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table882SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableStrike rateSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table129.71SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table50sSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table5SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table(Mandhana's overall WPL record)33 matches played in the WPL and just 882 runs to showcase define Mandhana's journey in the competition.Her strike rate is also questionable as the southpaw strikes at just 129, and has just five fifties in four seasons.Mandhana is sixth in the list of most runs scored in WPL history, and she has the second worst-strike rate after Meg Lanning.In-depth analysis of Mandhana's poor WPL performancesMandhana has 5 WPL fifties in 33 innings, with her scores reading - 96(61), 81(47), 80(50), 74(43), 53(37). Apart from these 5 innings, she has just scored 498 runs in 442 balls across 28 innings at an "average of 18.44" and "SR of 112.7".This showcases her inconsistency and the inability to deliver the goods when it matters the most. While most of her contemporaries and her juniors have cracked the T20 format, she struggles even after four seasons.Opening the batting for RCB, Mandhana has played just five good knocks for her team in 33 matches, and it means 28 of those have been poor by her standards, and this has been a major cause of worry for the team.Final verdict: Mandhana - liability or an asset?One of the best players at the international level, Mandhana is yet to cross the 1000-run mark in WPL, and while the others have delivered the goods for their team, Mandhana crumbles when the pressure is highest. While the likes of Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry have dragged RCB during crunch moments, the same cannot be said about the RCB captain, and after four years in the WPL, it won’t be an understatement to say that she has become more of a liability than an asset.
