RCB vs MI, WPL 2025 Highlights: Mumbai Indians beats Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets; Amanjot shines with all-round show
RCB vs MI, WPL 2025 Highlights: Mumbai Indians beats Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets; Amanjot shines with all-round show
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Kamilin sends Amanjot back and she does enough to reach back safely. Heaves it into the leg side and scampers down for two. Next one lands just short of long-on but Amanjot gets back on strike. Goes over the off side and runs one.
MI needs 2 off 2.
KAMALINI HAS DONE IT!! Whips it through covers for a FOUR! Mumbai Indians beats Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets.
Kanika continues and Amanjot hammers it over long on for a magnificent SIX! On middle and off and Amanjot can’t get anything out of it. Hands the strike to Kamalini. Swings at it and goes short third. Runs a couple and Amanjot gets on it again. SIX! She has turned it around again! Clears long on with ease.
MI needs 6 from 6.
OUT! Wareham strikes! The game has come alive again! Harmanpreet’s cut shot fails her this time. Gets the slightest edge on it and Richa makes no mistake.
Harmanpreet Kaur c †Ghosh b Wareham 50 (38)
MAKE THAT TWO-IN-TWO! Sajana struck on the pads and umpire gives it out!
Sajeevan Sajana lbw b Wareham 0 (1)
Young Kamalini denies Wareham a hattrick.
Renuka returns. Amanjot flicks it down to long on for a single. Harmanpreet with the power but oummels it straight to Renuka who takes it on the shin! She shakes it off and goes at it again. Back-to-back FOURs! Harmnpreet brings up her fifty with a single. An amazing innings by the skipper.
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Ekta to bowl out. Harmanpreet looked to cut it but is beaten. Not once, but twice! Can’t break the wall built on the off side and turns the other way. A cracking SIX to end the over. Used the slog sweep to launch it into the stands, brings up the 50-run stand as well.
Kanika Ahuja with the ball. Sticking to the singles again but Harmanpreet takes charge after that. FOUR! A fraction short outside off and Harmanpreet makes no mistake to power it to cover fence. Another FOUR! A thick outside edge that flies past the keeper. A 12-run over.
Wareham. Amanjot and Harmanpreet with hard running between the wickets. FOUR! Amanjot waits just enough to guide the outside off it past deep third to the fence. Seven runs off the over.
Timeout.
Ekta to Harmpreet. Tossing it up but the skipper unable to muscle it. Calling to Amanjot to keep up with the singles. Misfield by Renuka at short third but Perry behind to cover off. Much more quiet over by Ekta, gives away four runs.
Wareham continues. Amanjot cuts it late between short third and backward point for FOUR! A single brings up the team 100 for MI. Penty of protection on the off side and Harmanpreet makes sweeper cover run quite a bit.
Joshitha to Harmanpreet, punched for FOUR! Too wide to the MI skipper who finds the gap through point. Tries to straighten the line but goes too wide down leg again. Short, wide and punished behind point again! FOUR more for Harmanpreet! Too much pressure for the young bowler perhaps. MI skipper takes one on the gloves and there’s a brief medical timeout. 12 off the over.
Wareham returns and strikes immediately! Tempts Kerr with a ball outside off and she miscues her slice to Bisht tracing the ball from backward point. Big break for RCB.
Amelia Kerr c Bisht b Wareham 2 (6)
Amanjot Kaur comes in. Wareham doesn’t let her get into the groove and that’s a wicket maiden.
Joshitha VJ into the attack. Back of a length, on middle and leg, Kerr pats it into the leg side for a single. A tad straighter to Harmanpreet who gets a leading edge back to the bowler. Goes too wide and and has to bowl again. Waited it out and finally finds the fence for FOUR! Width on offer and slices it into the gap between backward point and short third. Reels it back in on the last ball and that’s seven off the over.
Absolute corker from Garth and that’s the huge wicket of Sciver-Brunt! Nails the yorker length and dislodges the stumps. Sciver-Brunt denied a third fifty on the trot.
Nat Sciver-Brunt b Garth 42 (21)
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Amelia Kerr joins Harmanpreet. Garth not giving Amelia any room to work with. Kerr just moves enough to work it to the on side to end the over with a single.
Renuka back into the attack. Sciver-Brunt takes a single to hand the strike over to MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Length and outside off, Harmanpreet guides it behind square and runs hard for two. FOUR! Back of a length and the skipper makes easy work of it to go through square leg. Too wide this time. Bowls again and that’s a loud shout for lbw! Umpire uninterested but RCB takes the review. Impact outside off and a review is lost.
Ekta Bisht into the attack and welcomes with a FOUR! Sciver-Brunt punishes the shorter ball to deep mid-wicket’s left. Another one! Fuller and and outside off, Sciver-Brunt hammers it past mid on for FOUR more. Make that three from three! Sweeps it behind to an empty square region this time. Strike given to Matthews and that’s FOUR again! This could be the game-changing over. The opener smashes this over extra cover. Ekta bowls it very full and on the pads. Umpire doesn’t budge but review goes RCB’s way.
Hayley Matthews lbw b Bisht 15 (10)
Time for a breather after the PowerPlay.
Bowling change, Georgia Wareham to bowl to Matthews. Well stopped by point and a better throw to the bowler’s end could have been the game for Sciver-Brunt. Matthews joining in the fun now, back-to-back FOURs on the off-side. Ten runs off the over and MI slowly taking control of the chase.
Down the ground for FOUR! Garth bowls full and outside off, allowing Sciver-Brunt to thump it behind the bowler. Loud appeal for lbw but Smirit felt that there was bat on it. A tad shorter and SSciver-Brunt misses it. Picks the next one up and muscles it to the leg side for FOUT! Make that another FOUR! Slower, on middle and leg, perfect for the batter to whack it behind square.
Renuka has to bowl the first one again, goes down leg and called wide. Tightens the line and comes to Matthews on the pads to work it away into the on side for a single. Another midfield goes for FOUR! Ball tottered away behind short third and Perry made ground from deep backward square leg but didn’t hold on to the ball. Sciver-Brunt is in her zone.
Kaim Garth from the other end. Fuller and on off, Mattews drops it into the off side for a single. On middle and off to Yastika, can’t get enough for a run. On the pads and given! But Yastika reviews it immediately. Yastika does not get an edge and has to make the frustrating walk back. MI retains the review.
Yastika Bhatia lbw b Garth 8 (8)
Nat Sciver-Brunt in at 3. Taken on the bounce and midfield lets the ball go to cover fenc.e FOUR through covers again! Paces it perfectly in the gap between covers. Nine runs and a wicket off the over.
Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews to start the chase. Renuka Singh with the ball. FOUR! Far too short and wide, cracked just past point to the ropes. Stopped well by Wareham at short point. Short again, punished again for FOUR! Yastika places it between short point and backward point. Renuka bowls a tad fuller and Yastika drags it on to her stumps.
It was an Ellyse Perry show. She kept her cool despite wickets tumbling on the other side to score 81 off 43 balls, the highest-ever individual score against MI in the WPL so far.
Amanjot Kaur was the star with the ball, picking three wickets. MI would have hoped to limit RCB to a much lower total, especially after striking often in the middle overs.
Can MI get 168 here or will RCB thwart any attempt?
Amanjot handed the last over responsibilty. Garth looked to get creative but her scoop connects with nothing. Perry handed the strike and that’s FOUR! Pin straight and down the track. Moves back with the ball and punched it through covers for another FOUR! OUT! An incredible knock to keep RCB float comes to an end after Perry holes out to Ismail at long on.
Ellyse Perry c Ismail b AB Kaur 81 (43)
An absolute mess on the field on the last ball. Ekta Bisht takes off from the striker’s end but the throw from Matthews from the deep is too much for Yastika to pick up. Manages to get two and that’s 167 on the board.
Garth immediately looking to get Perry on strike. Comes down the track but darts back to avoid a run-out attempt. Sciver-Brunt with her last over. Garth gets it right time time, works it to the on side for a single. Too wide for Perry to make use of but is called wide. Kerr does well from deep mid-wicket to cover the yards and save two runs. Sciver-Brunt has been precise this over and limited the big hits from Perry. But Garth is handed the baton, gets an outside edge that has enough pace to roll to deep third fence. FOUR!
Matthews to bowl out. Starts with a FOUR! Shorter and gliding onto the pads, perry gets under it and lifts it over short fine leg. Whacks it wide of long on, Perry and Garth hare down the track for two. FOUR more! Too short from Matthews and Perry pierces the gap on the on side. Perry has certainly stepped on the gas here. Around the wicket now. Keeps the damage to a minimum, two singles to end the over.
Perry brings up her fifty with a FOUR! Has carried the team through the pressure again. Kerr flights it outside off and Perry judges it early to strike it over extra cover. SIX! Width on offer, Perry comes down the track and whips it over long on. 12 runs off the over.
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Amanjot continues. Slides down leg a bit too much and Perry just swings it past short third for FOUR! Full and on the foot but was going down leg. Driven to long off for a single. OUT! Wareham shuffled back and tried to slice it over the inner circle but holes out to backward point. Another wicket thrown away. Amanjot has delivered – two wickets in two overs.
Georgia Wareham c Gupta b AB Kaur 6 (7)
Timeout complete. Kim Garth off the mark with a single to long off. Perry steers the ball behind backward point and short third but gets enough for two runs.
FOUR! Short and wide, Wareham cuts it past point to the fence. Swept towards deep mid-wicket for a single. Perry with another partner at the other end. Skips down but the ball comes back on the pads. Put it away to mid-on for a single.
Amanjot Kaur with the ball. MI trying to shuffle around and keep the batters on their toes. Full and tossed outside off, Perry and Richa runs ones. Richa tries to cut it late but can’t beat short third. Cut attempt again and OUT! Amanjot gets the better of Richa and knocks her off stump out of the ground.
Richa Ghosh b AB Kaur 28 (25)
Georgia Wareham on strike. Gets off the mark with a single.
Another bowling change, Nat Sciver-Brunt is into the attack. Perry and Ghosh running strong between the wickets. FOUR! Perry didn’t get beneath the ball enough but she heaves it enough to beat deep mid-wicket and find runs. FOUR for Richa! Gets a leading edge but swoops over short third for runs.
Kerr with the ball. Worked away for a couple of singles. The spinner still maintaining a strict stump-to-stump line. Richa dabs it towards short third but finds the rope on the next one. FOUR! Richa tries to use the angle, going down leg, behind but gets only some bat on it. Misfield at short fine leaks runs.
Ismail to bowl out. Richa moves back and cuts the wider ball fine to third man fence for FOUR! Down to deep third for a single. Perry drives it past cover for two and next one, FOUR! Off the glove as Perry looked to pull it behind but the ball flew past the keeper to the ropes. Flicked to long on for a single. That’s a wicket-less spell for Ismail. Has been on the expensive side as well.
That’s the first timeout complete. And Matthews is brought back. Gives Perry just a bit of room and that’s FOUR! Fished out the outside off ball and hammered through the gap on the off side. Richa still finding her footing. Spoke too early, that’s a massive SIX! Fuller and slower, Richa makes no mistake to put it launch it into the stands.
Swing and a miss! Richa looks in a hurry but is beaten by the back of a length, outside off delivery. The runs and boundaries have dried up. Richa unable to find a single and hand strike over to the much more settled Perry. Lucked out! Richa tried to use the height but ball bounces off her glove to find two.
Sanskriti Gupta is the new bowler. Saved by the bat! Kanika unaware that point had picked up the ball and heaved it back to Yastika. She had made her way back but not for long. OUT! Bowled just outside off and comes back in to Kanika who chops it to her stumps. No reprieve this time.
Kanika Ahuja b Gupta 3 (9)
Richa Ghosh is the new batter. Perry with another new partner and will hope to start building a partnership here.
That’s the end of the PowerPlay. 54 runs on the board, three wickets in the bag. Quite an eventful start indeed.
Amelia Kerr into the attack. Sticking to the outside off line and dropping it much fuller. Kanika and Perry being restricted to singles placed in the gaps. A calm over after the storm in the first six.
Matthews continues. OUT! RCB in a bit of a bother here. Raghvi tries to heave the slower ball past deep mid-wicket but doesn’t get enough on it. Holes out to Amelia Kerr in the end.
Raghvi Bist c Kerr b Matthews 1 (3)
Kanika starts with a taps past mid-on for a single. Perry takes a step down and tries to launch it over long off fence but lands short. Just two.
Sciver-Brunt from the other end. Second ball, Perry hammers her front ball and the fuller ball over long on for SIX! A single towards deep mid-wicket. And OUT! Wyatt-Hodge wants a part of the fun but falls short. An upper cuts attempt ends up as a top-edge to Hayley Matthews who ran back from short third.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge c Matthews b Nat Sciver-Brunt 9 (9)
Raghvi Bisht is the new batter in.
First sign of spin, Hayley Matthews bowls it a smidge outside off and Waytt-Hodge thumps it behind point for FOUR! Wyatt-Hodge adds a couple and hands over the strike with a single to the on side. Goes around the wicket to Perry, shortish on middle and off. Perry unable to make enough room and connect.
Ismail going over the wicket to Smriri and is punished again! Got on her back foot and places it perfectly between point and cover. To the right of point this time and that’s FOUR more! Fielder in the deep just short. OUT! Goes around the wicket and gets the danger batter. Back of a length and angling outside off, Smriti mistimes it. Ball goes high up and Yastika Bhatia completes the catch.
Smriti Mandhana c †Bhatia b Ismail 26 (13)
FOUR! Bowled full and on the pads, Ellyse Perry picks it up and drops it over square leg for her first boundary.
Nat Sciver-Brunt into the attack. Length, just outside off and Wyatt-Hodge taps it back gently. Sciver-Brunt changes the line next ball, goes down leg but is called wide. Wyatt-Hodge cuts the wide one to deep backward point for a single. A couple of singles and that’s a SIX! Smriti comes forward and dispatches this straight over the bowler for her first maximum of the day. 11 runs coming off the over.
Smriti Mandhana and Dani Wyatt-Hodge at the crease for RCB. Shabnim Ismail with the new ball. Countdown done!
Starts with one back of the length, Smriti with a pull that didn’t connect but lands short of mid-on. The skipper looking in the mood to pull. Times it perfectly and gets it past square leg for FOUR! Shabnim comes around the wickets and beats her outside edge by a whisker. Short on the last ball and FOUR to square leg region again! That’s some start to the over.
Credits: K Murali Kumar/The Hindu
Teams and umpires are making their way to the middle. MI finish their huddle and the openers are walking to the middle. It’s almost game time!
The thousands of fans present at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will see the homeside skipper in action very soon.
Smriti Mandhana and Dani Wyatt-Hodge got off to a great start in the last match, but how will they fare against Shabnim Ismail with the new ball?
MI wins the toss, opts to bowl
An unchanged MI will take on an unchanged RCB.
The boundaries are in the shorter side but not as short as the ones in Vadodara.
55m and 61m are the square boundaries and the longest one straight down is 70m.
According to Murali Kartik, the pitch looks quite hard and moist. It’s a well-rolled surface and teams will most likely opt to bowl.
However, there will be won’t be much dew to help the batters in the second innings.
So, what will be the right call here?
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU:
Smriti Mandhana (C), Danni Wyatt, Sabbineni Meghana, Charlie Dean, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Heather Graham, Joshitha VJ, Kanika Ahuja, Kim Garth, Prema Rawat, Raghvi Bist, Sneh Rana, Nuzhat Parween, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht, Jagravi Pawar, Renuka Singh.
MUMBAI INDIANS:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Akshita Maheshwari, Amandeep Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Hayley Mathews, Jintimani Kalita, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Nadine de Klerk, Natalie Sciver, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, G Kamalini, Yastika Bhatia, Parunika Sisodia, Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail.
Matches played: 5
RCB: 2
MI: 3
The Bengaluru leg of the Women’s Premier League is all set to get underway with a clash of champions leading the way.
Home side and holder Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosts season one winner Mumbai Indians at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday to kick off the second phase of the 2025 edition.
Rajdeep Saha previews the game:
First up, defending champion and home favourite Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on inaugural champion Mumbai Indians.
RCB vs MI is Match No. 7
After six thrilling fixtures at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, the WPL 2025 caravan has moved to a fairly known land, Bengaluru for the second leg.
Eight matches are scheduled to take place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and if last year’s games are the yardstick, we are in for a fun time.
