The Indian women's team almost pulled off a dramatic win but failed to score a boundary in the final delivery to lose the third and final T20 International against New Zealand by a mere two runs in Hamilton.
Ahead of the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League, RCB head coach Ben Sawyer opened up about the team's plans and the squad.
A desperate Indian team will pray for a rain-free third and final ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday in its bid to finish on an even keel in a series that neither had context nor any major takeaways.
India's tennis icon Sania Mirza, who played her last Grand Slam at the Australian Open last month, was roped in by the Royal Challengers Bangalore team as their mentor in the inaugural Women's Premier League.
Exactly 11 months are left for the marquee event in India and the series starting on Friday will give the team an initial idea about some of the middle-order slots
Next year's Women's Cricket ODI World Cupw ill be capped by a final in Christchurch under lights at the Hagley Oval, one of New Zealand's main Test venues.
For ICC Women's Player of the Decade, Ellyse Perry (Australia), Meg Lanning (Australia), Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Mithali Raj (India), Sarah Taylor (England) have been nominated.
Smriti Mandhana, on Friday, rose three rungs to fourth but Jemimah Rodrigues dropped to seventh in the latest ICC women's T20 International rankings
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur came much cheaper for Mumbai Indians at nearly half the price of Mandhana at Rs 1.80 crore.
According to current regulations, the ball used in women's cricket is fractionally smaller and lighter than that used in the men's game.
Indian women were handed a second consecutive loss by New Zealand in Bengaluru, on Friday.
Kaur is the only Indian to feature in the best XI of WBBL despite some quality performances by the likes of Smriti Mandhana, who became the first from the country to hit a century in the league with a record-equalling 114 not out.
The five teams -- Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, RCB, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz -- will be bidding for 90 players in a list of 409.
Stokes is also among the Test Cricket of the Year nominees alongside compatriot Jonny Bairstow, Australia opener Usman Khawaja and South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada.
The Indian women's cricket team defeated New Zealand by three wickets in the third and final Twenty20 International, in Bangalore, on Wednesday. The consolation victory gave the Indians something to cheer about following defeats in the first two games.
India will expect a better approach from skipper Shikhar Dhawan and young Shubman Gill in the Powerplay overs when the team clashes with New Zealand in a do-or-die second One-Day International, in Hamilton, on Sunday.
Images from the ICC Women's ODI World Cup match between India and New Zealand in Hamilton on Thursday.
India will be keen to go one step ahead and claim the title that has eluded them
At one stage, New Zealand and Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder Sophie Devine even made a plea for pushing back the boundary limits.
Indian batting is prone to collapses, especially from a position of strength. Chasing 160, India were going strong at 102 for 1 but Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues's dismissals proved fatal for the visitors who collapsed to 136 all out, bringing back memories of their inexplicable surrender in the 2017 50-over World Cup final against England.
The Australian women's cricket team matched the world record 21-game winning streak in one-day internationals set in 2003.
The 34-year-old replaced Iftikhar Ahmed, who managed only 44 runs in four innings in the recent tour of Australia where Pakistan lost both Tests.
India's teen batting sensation Shafali Verma is set to play for Birmingham Phoenix in the inaugural edition of The Hundred and might also turn up for a Sydney franchise in the Women's Big bash League later in the year.
Images from the women's T20 World Cup match between India and New Zealand in Melbourne, on Thursday.
Rodrigues's 132 runs in the three-match series against New Zealand have lifted her to second position
India captain Mithali Raj was on Thursday named in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year while left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was the lone cricketer to find a place in the both the ODI and T20 Teams of the year announced by the world body.
The stage is set for the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League, which will get underway in Mumbai on Saturday.
Teenage Indian batting sensation Shafali Verma on Wednesday rose to the top spot in the ICC women's T20 International rankings, riding on her stellar run at the T20 World Cup in Australia. The 16-year-old Verma takes over from New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who had been the top batter since October 2018 after wresting the spot from West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor.
Williamson has a chance to topple Kohli at the top of the rankings.
The Indian women's team put behind off-field controversies by making a superb start to the three-ODI rubber -- which is part of the ICC Women's Championship series -- thrashing New Zealand by nine wickets in the opening match.
Smriti Mandhana-led IPL Trailblazers compete against IPL Supernovas, to be captained by Harmanpreet Kaur.
India's Smriti Mandhana slammed the joint fastest half-century in women's T20 cricket as she propelled Western Storm to a 18-run victory against Loughborough Lightning in a rain-hit match in the Kia Super League in Taunton, on Sunday.
For the Indian women's team captain, hitting eight sixes in order to avoid running is best way to ignore stomach cramps.
After winning the ODI series 2-1, Indian women lost momentum and subsequently the T20 series.
India's batting sensation Virat Kohli was on Monday named captain of the ICC World Twenty20 team of the tournament, which also featured veteran seamer Ashish Nehra.
Teenager Jemimah Rodrigues struck an unbeaten 77 to help Supernovas beat Velocity by 12 runs and enter the final of the Women's T20 Challenge.
What India pacer Shikha Pandey finds objectionable is trying to achieve growth through tinkering of rules rather than robust marketing.
Australia captain Meg Lanning says women's Test matches need to spread beyond Australia-England rivalry and believes India need to play a big role in promoting the format.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur struck a sensational half century as Supernovas clinched the Women's T20 Challenge with a four-wicket victory over Velocity in a dramatic final, in Jaipur, on Saturday.
In the lead-up to the World T20, India have hit good form, beating hosts Sri Lanka before blanking Australia A at home. What should give them additional confidence going into the opener is the wins against reigning champions West Indies and England in the warm-up matches.
