Despite not competing for a top-three finish, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) concluded their WPL 2025 season impressively. They showcased a strong performance to defeat Mumbai Indians (MI), the defending champions, and stopped them from directly qualifying for the final. Thanks to a combined effort in batting and bowling, RCB secured an 11-run victory over MI in their last league match. This result means Delhi Capitals advance to the final for the third consecutive year. Consequently, MI will now compete against Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator.
Chasing a target of 200 to secure a place in the final, Mumbai Indians had a slow start in the powerplay overs. Although Hayley Matthews managed to hit some boundaries early on, MI’s powerplay score remained below expectations. Sneh Rana successfully dismissed both opening batters, leaving MI at 45 for 2 after the initial six overs. This situation put pressure on the experienced pair of Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Harmanpreet Kaur to rebuild the innings.
Unfortunately for the home team, Kim Garth dismissed Harmanpreet, ending any chances of a significant partnership. Harmanpreet was caught behind, scoring 20 runs off 18 balls. Nat Sciver-Brunt was the only MI batter who showed resistance, consistently finding boundaries to keep her team’s hopes alive. She reached her half-century and became the first player in WPL history to surpass 400 runs in a single season. However, with a substantial target still to chase, Sciver-Brunt had to take risks, and she eventually top-edged a delivery and was dismissed, leaving her team needing 71 runs from just 31 balls.
Rana’s excellent bowling continued as she claimed the wicket of Yastika Bhatia, further weakening MI’s chase. By this stage, MI’s chase seemed to lose momentum as RCB consistently took wickets. However, some late boundaries from the lower order, particularly from Sajeevan Sajana, caused a brief moment of tension for RCB in the final over. Despite Perry bowling two wide deliveries and conceding two sixes, which reduced the equation to 12 runs needed from 3 balls, she managed to regain control and ensured MI couldn’t score any runs from the final three deliveries.
Earlier in the evening, a powerful finish with the bat enabled RCB to reach a total of 199 runs. Smriti Mandhana, after a series of low scores in her previous four innings, returned to form, providing RCB with a rapid start alongside Sabbhineni Meghana. While Mandhana targeted Shabnim Ismail, Meghana aggressively attacked Matthews, scoring 26 runs off just 12 balls before Matthews managed to dismiss her.
Following Meghana’s dismissal, the scoring rate briefly slowed down. However, Mandhana then accelerated the innings by hitting Amelia Kerr for two sixes and a four in a single over, giving her team a much-needed boost. Perry, at the other end, initially appeared less fluent and had a strike rate below 100, while Mandhana reached her half-century with consecutive boundaries.
Any hopes the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack had of restricting RCB to a manageable score were dashed by a crucial cameo from Richa Ghosh. Perry also compensated for her slow start and began contributing with boundaries. However, it was Georgia Wareham’s spectacular hitting at the end that caught MI off guard. RCB scored 39 runs in the final two overs, with Wareham smashing five fours and a six in a remarkable unbeaten innings of 31 runs from just 10 deliveries, much to MI’s disappointment. Considering the final margin of victory, it’s clear that Wareham’s contribution was ultimately the deciding factor.
Brief scores: RCB Women 199/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 53, Ellyse Perry 49*; Hayley Matthews 2/37) beat MI Women 188/9 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 69; Sneh Rana 3/26, Kim Garth 2/33) by 11 runs
