RCB sign England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge in trade window: Why this is a good move for the WPL champions | Cricket News

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru announced a significant new addition to their WPL roster as they signed Danni Wyatt-Hodge in a cash trade from UP Warriorz.
The explosive opener, who is also a brilliant fielder, is on brink of 3000 T20I runs (2979) and has a healthy career strike rate of 127.85, going even higher in recent years.
Wyatt-Hodge is currently one of the most destructive batters in the shortest format at the top of the order. She was named in the T20 World Cup team of the tournament, despite England’s shock early exit. Batting in the top order, she was England’s most consent scorer with 151 runs in four innings. She top-scored with 41 in England’s opening victory against Bangladesh before important knocks of 43 and 51 not out in wins over South Africa and Scotland respectively.
Why Danni is a good choice for RCB
During their title-winning run this year, the one area RCB did struggle was consency at the top of the order. While Mandhana was a constant presence, they had to shuffle between S Meghana and Sophie Devine to parther the captain, and neither pairing clicked overall. Meghana had a decent season with 168 runs from the 6 innings she batted but struggled with her strike rate of 112.75. Devine didn’t have the best season with the bat either and she is more suited now in the middle order where she bats for the world champions White Ferns.
While Wyatt-Hodge didn’t get to play for UPW last season, she will be a more natural fit at RCB. Firstly, her record in India is quite impressive. In 17 T20I innings in India, she has scored runs 459 at an average of 30.6 and a superb strike rate of 142.10 with one 100 and two 50s. Secondly, Wyatt-Hodge and Mandhana have opened the batting together for Southern Brave at The Hundred. Even though the 2024 season didn’t work out for them as a pair, they were prolific in the 2023 edition when Brave won the title, having as many as three 50+ partnerships for the first wicket.
With Perry and Devine more than capable of managing the middle overs with Richa Ghosh in there too, RCB’s signing of Danni Wyatt-Hodge could prove to be a shrew off-season trade ahead of WPL 2025.