Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) rode on the all-round heroics of star all-rounder Ellyse Perry to hammer Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets.
And storm into the play-offs of the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 on Tuesday. UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants were officially out of playoff contention after RCB’s thumping seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.
Only the defending champions, the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals, had secured their playoff spots before the game. A win would have been enough to propel RCB on, whilst UPW and GG needed Smriti Mandhana and Co to suffer a crushing defeat to have a chance.
However, Bangalore, who had suffered a heartbreaking one-run loss to DC in their previous game, left nothing to chance this time and stormed into the knockouts. Mandhana opted to bowl first and Perry’s six-wicket haul helped her side restrict MI to a modest 113. The Australian allrounder then hit an unbeaten 40 and had a 76-run stand with Richa Ghosh (36 not out) to help RCB reach the winning score of 115 for 3 in only 15 overs.
Mumbai got off to a good start with the bat, as openers Hayley Matthews and S Sajana added 43 runs together. However, the innings unravelled soon after as Perry provided a masterpiece in seam bowling. The right-arm pacer then took a superb catch to remove and conceded only two runs in her first over. Perry took six wickets in her final three overs, as MI lost their last nine wickets for a measly 48 runs.
Perry, who had failed to take a single wicket in her previous four WPL appearances, continued to attack the stumps and nip the ball both ways. Sajana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, and Pooja Vastrakar were clean bowled by the 33-year-old, while Amelia Kerr and Natalie Sciver-Brunt were caught leg before.
Bangalore lost openers Mandhana and Sophie Molineux early in the game, followed by Sophie Devine shortly after the powerplay. Despite Mumbai’s efforts to intensify the pressure, Perry and Ghosh held firm and progressively boosted the score rate. The right-handers combined for nine fours and three sixes, securing RCB’s position in the Eliminator.
The Delhi Capitals will face Gujarat Giants in their final league stage encounter on Wednesday at Arun Jaitley Stadium, to advance directly to the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 final. DC are poised to face the Gujarat Giants in their final WPL match and have already qualified for the playoffs. DC leads with five victories, two losses, and a total of 10 points.