WPL 2024: MI Face Setback as RCB Advances to Final Against Delhi Capitals

An unforgettable WPL Eliminator! A nail-biter of a fixture that was boring to begin with. The reigning champion Mumbai Indians were stunned by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who appeared out of nowhere to win the match. As they prepared for their last meeting with Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, emotions were running high as a tearful-eyed Smiriti Mandhana embraced an ecstatic Ellyse Perry.

With just three overs remaining and just 14 runs for three wickets, MI, which was chasing 136 to secure a position in their second straight final, unexpectedly lost the game losing the match by five runs. They needed 43 off 30 to 20 off 18. A 52-run partnership between MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt gave the team hope for an easy victory at one point. But despite the pressure, the RCB spinners were able to produce a remarkable comeback that began with Shreyanka Patil’s 18th over.

Will you bowl the last over?
Of course I can😎

Hear from Captain @mandhana_smriti & Asha Shobhana on the final-over call that successfully paid off for @RCBTweets 🙌#TATAWPL | #MIvRCB | #Eliminator pic.twitter.com/IqKs8cY7xb
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 16, 2024

As the RCB tightened its grip, Patil castled Kaur in her final over, setting off alarm bells in the MI camp. Sajeevan Sajana was removed from the game by Sophie Molineux’s four-run 19th over, leaving Asha Sobhana needing to defend 12 in the last over. The 32-year-old caused mayhem in the RCB dugout and among the 27,000 spectators by conceding just six runs while bowling out Pooja Vastrakar.

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Ellyse Perry Heroics Inning

Ellyse Perry, the outstanding all-around player for the Royals, deserves a lot of respect for coming back from her best-ever WPL season. Kotla was nearly full, and throughout a significant portion of the game, even the supporters wearing MI shirts were yelling “RCB-RCB” or “Perry-Perry.”

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At Kotla, the Australian all-rounder had raised the ante by holding the Royal Challengers at bay with only his bat. Perry reached her second half-century of the year, while no other batter scored more than 18. She scored 66 runs off 50 balls, smashing eight boundaries and a six to buoy the deflated RCB innings.

The MI batsmen made a valiant effort to recover, taking three fast wickets, but the RCB batting order was resilient. Richa Ghosh and Sophie Molineux failed in their attempts to quicken the innings. But batting third, Ellyse Perry held her own against the strain. Perry maintained her outstanding form after taking six wickets in a match against MI earlier in the week by hitting a crucial half-century to keep the scoreboard moving and take advantage of any loose deliveries. Georgia Wareham gave RCB crucial support in the closing stages, enabling them to score a respectable 135 runs.

A Win to Remember for RCB

But during the crucial times, RCB’s never quit mentality was evident. They applied constant pressure with precise bowling and deft fielding, setting up a suspenseful conclusion. MI crumbled under pressure, allowing RCB to secure a remarkable victory by 5 runs and go on to the WPL 2024 final against Delhi Capitals, even though they needed a controlled run rate towards the finish. This game served as a monument to the unpredictable nature of cricket, where perseverance and cooperation can make all the difference at pivotal times.