(Cricket news) In the Friday night eliminator in Delhi, Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated the reigning champion Mumbai Indians by five runs, securing their first-ever spot in the WPL final. Following Ellyse Perry’s outstanding 66, which helped RCB reach 135 for 6, Mumbai was eliminated by a cool, collected bowling performance, particularly in the latter stages.
With seven wickets remaining and a requirement of 20 runs in three overs, Mumbai looked to have the low-scoring, momentum-shifting match. But at a critical juncture, Mumbai was damaged by RCB’s spin combination of Asha Sobhana, Sophie Molineux, and Shreyanka Patil, who shut down the runs and claimed three wickets.
The uncapped Asha then maintained her composure and bowled a final over without giving up a run to send RCB into the championship match against Delhi Capitals when the score came down to 12 runs off six balls.
Mumbai make early inroads with ball
Mumbai began with a 14-run opening over from Shabnim Ismail, but they bounced back with a powerplay that saw them secure three RCB wickets. When Sophie Devine got an inside edge onto the stumps in the first over, there was a little drama, but the bails stood their ground. Hayley Matthews bowled the following over, and Smriti Mandhana got things started by lofting one over mid-off for her second boundary. However, Matthews quickly returned to the game, dismissing Devine with a length ball that veered away from the right-hand hitter after she misplayed the line.
Mumbai began with a 14-run opening over from Shabnim Ismail, but they bounced back with a powerplay that saw them secure three RCB wickets. When Sophie Devine got an inside edge onto the stumps in the first over, there was a little drama, but the bails stood their ground. Hayley Matthews bowled the following over, and Smriti Mandhana got things started by lofting one over mid-off for her second boundary. However, Matthews quickly returned to the game, dismissing Devine with a length ball that veered away from the right-hand hitter after she misplayed the line.
Perry lifts RCB, again
After struggling through her 19-ball 14, Richa Ghosh was removed by Matthews in the 10th over, leaving the RCB at 49 for 4. Perry, though, seemed unperturbed by the wickets falling. She played a calculated knock, picked up lengths early, and surged when needed. Even though there weren’t many loose deliveries from the Mumbai bowlers, the orange-cap holder managed to score.
Vastrakar went short and smacked her over deep midwicket for six after she calmly played out 21 deliveries to reach 17. Perry increased the pace with Wareham (18* off 10) and played as many balls as possible during the final overs after he and Molineux (11 off 17) stitched a run-a-ball stand of 35 for the fifth wicket. With just 26 runs scored, Perry and Wareham put on 42, and the Royals scored 51 runs in the final five overs.
In Ismail’s last over and the 17th of the innings, Perry eventually reached 50 off 40 deliveries after hitting the seamer for a pair of fours. In the eighteenth, she struck Amelia Kerr for two more boundaries. Perry smashed eight fours and a six in her fifty balls, but in the last over, she was caught in the deep off Ishaque.
Mumbai’s cautious start
Although the goal appeared low, Mumbai lost Matthews at the first wicket in the fourth over, as Patil removed her for just 15. After that wicket, Mumbai wanted to finish the powerplay without taking any more wickets, so they played conservatively. By bowling dot balls on a pitch where the ball was twisting and clinging to the surface, RCB applied additional pressure. Mumbai had slumped to 37 for 1 at the end of six overs.
Shortly afterward, Perry bowled Yastika Bhatia, who had returned to the playing XI after missing the previous match due to illness, for a 19 off 27 balls. A few overs later, Wareham smashed the stumps to conclude Sciver-Brunt’s 23-run cameo. After 11 overs, 67 runs from 54 balls remained in the equation.
Harmanpreet-Kerr put on fifty stand
Mumbai didn’t have to panic despite their sluggish start because Harmanpreet and Kerr were still in the team. Their goal was to continue getting singles and to identify the odd border for each over. The Mumbai duo had difficulty scoring runs because of Molineux and Patil, but they managed to relieve some of the burden. In the partnership, Kerr went hard on Wareham for two fours, and Harmanpreet, who was on 21 off 22 at one point, hammered Perry for two. In 44 balls, the two shared a 52-run stand.
RCB’s knockout punch
Mumbai simply needed twenty more balls, with eighteen remaining. But Patil’s game-changing eighteenth over was still to come. Following a huge stumping opportunity that Ghosh missed to remove Harmanpreet with the opening ball, Patil pushed Harmanpreet to step out once more from her penultimate delivery, but she was bowled out to long-on for 33.
Mumbai needed to make sixteen off twelve as Molineux delivered the penultimate over. She bowled from both sides of the wicket, varying her lengths. When S Sajana skipped down and failed to make a reckless swing, she was disqualified off the fifth ball. Ghosh left 12 for the last over after making no mistakes behind the stumps this time.
Legspinner Asha received the ball before Devine and Renuka Singh since there were two right-hand batsmen, Kerr and Vastrakar, at the crease. Mandhana did this. In the first three balls, she gave up just four runs and removed Vastrakar. Kerr eventually needed a six off the last ball to force extra innings, but all she could muster was a misplayed shot for one.
