Winning the Toss, Fielding First, and Securing the Victory
Mumbai Indians (MI) continued the winning trend in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, where the team winning the toss and electing to bowl first has emerged victorious in all seven games so far. In the first game of the Bengaluru leg, MI triumphed over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by four wickets. Despite RCB’s Ellyse Perry delivering a dazzling 81 off 43 balls, MI’s disciplined bowling and potent batting saw them through to a well-deserved win. The joint-best powerplay of the season, which saw MI cruise to 66 for 2, set the tone for their successful chase. Harmanpreet Kaur’s half-century kept MI’s innings on track until Georgia Wareham’s double dismissal in the 18th over. Amanjot Kaur’s late aggression, including two crucial sixes against Kanika Ahuja, sealed the victory in a thrilling finish.
Smriti Mandhana vs Shabnim Ismail: A Duel of Titans
The opening duel between MI’s Shabnim Ismail and RCB’s Smriti Mandhana was a captivating affair. Ismail, known for her blistering pace, set the stage with a bouncer that Mandhana mistimed, falling short of mid-on. However, the RCB captain quickly adapted, pulling the next short ball for a boundary over square leg. Ismail adjusted her strategy, switching to around the wicket, but Mandhana continued to dominate, unfurling another four with a well-timed pull. Sciver-Brunt, who bowled from the other end, allowed Mandhana to use her feet, leading to a straight six. Despite Mandhana’s early aggression, Ismail had the last laugh, trapping her lbw with a short ball that took the top edge and was caught by Yastika Bhatia behind the stumps.
Quick Wickets Plunge RCB into Trouble
RCB’s innings got off to a promising start with Ellyse Perry’s immediate boundary off Ismail’s first ball. She followed up by hitting Sciver-Brunt over long-on in the next over. However, MI’s bowlers quickly turned the tide with three quick wickets. Danni Wyatt-Hodge was dismissed by Sciver-Brunt, Raghvi Bist fell to Hayley Matthews, and Ahuja was bowled by Sanskriti Gupta. By the ninth over, RCB found themselves in a precarious position at 62 for 4. The innings struggled to regain momentum, with no boundaries scored from overs six to nine.
Perry’s Pristine Performance
Despite the early setbacks, Ellyse Perry’s innings remained a beacon of hope for RCB. She brought up the team’s first boundary in the tenth over, dispatching Matthews for four. Perry found a valuable partner in Richa Ghosh, who chipped in with a six. Together, they added 50 runs in 38 deliveries, with Perry reaching her fifty off 30 balls. She continued her dominance, hitting Amelia Kerr over extra cover and long-on in quick succession. Perry’s innings was a masterclass in aggression and timing, and she finished with a pristine 81 off 43 balls, although she was eventually dismissed by Amanjot Kaur on the penultimate ball of the innings.
Matthews and Sciver-Brunt Spark MI’s Flying Start
MI’s chase began on a high note, with Yastika Bhatia hitting Renuka Singh for two fours in the first over. Despite Bhatia’s early dismissal to Kim Garth, there was no letup in the scoring. Sciver-Brunt continued the momentum, hitting two fours off her first two balls and adding three more fours in Garth’s next over. Matthews joined in with back-to-back fours off Wareham, while Ekta Bisht was also punished, conceding a hat-trick of fours to Sciver-Brunt and one to Matthews. Bisht found some consolation by having Matthews lbw with her last ball of the over. The aggressive start set the stage for a thrilling chase.
Amanjot’s Heroics Seal the Win
Harmanpreet Kaur played a crucial role in keeping MI’s chase on track, despite a slow start. She reached double digits off ten balls but then accelerated, hitting Ahuja for successive fours and slog-sweeping Bisht into the stands. With 54 runs needed in the last six overs, Harmanpreet was well set, and MI looked firmly in control. However, Wareham’s double dismissal in the 18th over—trapping Harmanpreet lbw and removing S Sajana with a slider—brought the momentum back to RCB. Amanjot Kaur, who had been playing second fiddle, stepped up to the plate. She cleared long-on twice in the 19th over, reducing the required rate to just six runs in the final over. With one less fielder in the outfield due to RCB’s slow over rate, Kamalini cleared the covers to secure a thrilling victory with one ball to spare.
