Mumbai Indians clinched a thrilling four-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a Women’s Premier League (WPL) showdown at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday (Feb 21). The match, a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, showcased Mumbai’s resilience as they chased down RCB’s 167/7 with a dramatic final-over finish.
 |
| Image Credits: ESPN Cricinfo |
RCB, batting first, leaned heavily on Ellyse Perry’s explosive 81 off 43 balls, studded with 11 fours and two sixes. Her knock rescued RCB from early trouble at 51/3, stitching a 52-run stand with Richa Ghosh (28 off 25). Amanjot Kaur’s 3-22 from 3 overs, however, kept Mumbai in the game, curbing RCB’s late surge. Despite Perry’s heroics, RCB’s total seemed within reach on a batting-friendly pitch.
Mumbai’s chase began with fireworks, racing to 66/2 in the powerplay, courtesy of Nat Sciver-Brunt (42 off 21) and Harmanpreet Kaur’s composed 50 (off 38 balls) batting with lower middle order. The tide turned when Georgia Wareham dismissed Harmanpreet and S. Sajana in quick succession in the 18th over, leaving Mumbai needing 22 off 12 balls.
Enter Amanjot Kaur, whose nerveless 34* not out of 27—highlighted by two sixes of 19th over bowled by Kanika Ahuja—tilted the scales. With two runs needed off the final two deliveries, Kamalini danced down the track to loft Ekta Bisht through cover for four, sealing the win.
Amanjot’s all-round brilliance earned her Player of the Match, while Harmanpreet’s leadership steadied Mumbai’s nerve. For RCB, Perry’s valiant effort went in vain as their bowling faltered under pressure. Post this result, RCB still hung on their first position in the points table while Mumbai Indians climbed up to 2nd position with both teams tied on 4 points each.
Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians - 170/6 in 19.5 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur - 50, Georgia Wareham - 3/21) defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru - 167/7 in 20 overs (Elysse Perry - 81, Amanjot Kaur - 3/22) by a margin of 4 wickets with 1 ball to spare
