Spirited RCB Deny MI Direct Entry to Final
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) may not have made it to the final, but they surely ended their season with a bang! In their last game of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, RCB defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 11 runs. Visit baji for more sports news.
This win stopped MI from reaching the final and helped Delhi Capitals take their place instead. Now, MI must play Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator to try to get the final.
Mumbai’s Tough Chase
To qualify directly for the final, MI had to score 200 runs, but their start was not very strong. Hayley Matthews hit some quick boundaries, but MI’s PowerPlay score wasn’t high enough.
RCB’s Sneh Rana took two important wickets early, leaving MI at 45/2 after six overs. This meant MI’s experienced players, Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, had to take charge.
Unfortunately for MI, Kim Garth dismissed Harmanpreet, who only scored 20 runs off 18 balls. However, Sciver-Brunt fought hard, striking limits and keeping MI’s hopes alive.
She reached another half-century, becoming the first player in WPL history to score more than 400 runs in a season.
She tried to set more boundaries, but the pressure was too much, so she left. MI was in serious trouble when they needed 71 runs in the final 31 balls.
Sneh Rana made things harder for MI by taking Yastika Bhatia’s wicket. MI’s chances kept fading as RCB took wickets regularly.
But in the final over, Sajeevan Sajana hit two sixes, giving MI a slim chance. Ellyse Perry, who had struggled with her bowling, made a comeback in the final three balls and ensured MI could not score any more runs. With that, RCB won the game by 11 runs!
RCB’s Batters Shine
Earlier, RCB batted first and posted a big total of 199 runs. Their captain, Smriti Mandhana, played a fantastic knock, scoring 53 runs after struggling in her last four games. She, along with Sabbhineni Meghana, gave RCB a flying start. Meghana got out after smashing 26 runs off just 12 balls.
After a short slow-down, Mandhana took charge again and hit some massive sixes. Perry, batting with her, started slowly but later picked up the pace.
Then came Richa Ghosh, who added critical runs, but the real game-changer was Georgia Wareham. She played a mind-blowing innings in the last two overs, hitting five fours and a six.
RCB scored 39 runs in the previous 12 balls, taking their total to 199/3. MI’s bowlers had no answers to Wareham’s powerful hitting!
A Thrilling End to the League Stage
RCB may not have made it to the playoffs, but they showed great team spirit by stopping MI from qualifying for the final directly.
This win helped Delhi Capitals reach the final for the third time. Now, MI must defeat Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator if they want another shot at the title.
RCB’s all-round performance with the bat and ball made this match one of the season’s most exciting games.
Will MI bounce back in the Eliminator, or will Gujarat Giants take their place? Cricket fans can’t wait to find out!
Match Summary
RCB W: 199/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 53, Ellyse Perry 49*; Hayley Matthews 2/37)
MI W: 188/9 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 69; Sneh Rana 3/26, Kim Garth 2/33)
RCB won by 11 runs.
