MI vs RCB WPL 2023: Mumbai Indians-W Beat RC Bangalore-W Comfortably: In the Women’s Premier League 19th match, played on March 21, 2023, Mumbai Indians Women won by four wickets against Royal Challengers Bangalore Women at DY Patil. However, it wasn’t enough to secure a direct berth in the final.
Amelia Kerr shone in the match as she first took three wickets for 22 runs in four overs and then scored an unbeaten 31 to lead her team to victory. She displayed remarkable bowling variations and flighted deliveries that were hard to hit by the opposition batters.
Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to field first. Their bowlers restricted the Royal Challengers to 125 runs for nine wickets in 20 overs. Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry were the top scorers with 29 runs each.
The Mumbai team’s Issy Wong and Natalie Sciver-Brunt picked two wickets each while Kerr and Snehal Pradhan took three and one wickets respectively.
Mumbai started their chase on a shaky note, losing two quick wickets for just 14 runs in three overs. But then Taniya Bhatia and Kerr steadied the innings with their crucial 45-run partnership.
Bhatia scored 30 runs off 27 balls, while Kerr remained unbeaten with 31 runs off 26 balls. RCB’s Meghna Singh and Jasia Akhtar picked two wickets each. Mumbai reached the target in 16.3 overs for the loss of six wickets.
The win helped Mumbai reach the top of the points table, but they were later displaced by Delhi Capitals, who had a better Net Run Rate. Capitals secured a direct spot in the final, while Mumbai will face UP Warriorz in the eliminator on March 24.
Mumbai’s journey to the playoffs has been a roller-coaster ride, with some highs and lows. They had lost their previous two matches at DY Patil Stadium, where they could only manage scores of 109 for 8 and 127 all out against Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz respectively.
Mumbai’s best spinner, Saika Ishaque, who had picked 12 wickets in the early stages of the tournament, failed to continue her form in the last few matches. She went wicketless in the last two matches and was largely bowling in the range of 85-90 kph.
In contrast, Sophie Ecclestone of UP Warriorz, another left-arm spinner, slowed down her deliveries to pick three wickets for 15 runs while bowling out Mumbai for 127 a few days ago.
Kerr’s emergence as a key player in the latter half of the tournament has been a welcome sign for Mumbai, especially as the pitches have started to tire out and assist spinners.
Kerr, who made her debut for New Zealand at the age of 16, has been a vital cog in Mumbai’s wheel. Her all-round abilities with both bat and ball have come in handy for the team.
Kerr has always been a wicket-taking bowler, and her ability to fight the ball and vary her pace has troubled the opposition batters. Against RCB, she bowled with great control and took crucial wickets at crucial junctures of the match. Her unbeaten 31 in the chase was another instance of her batting prowess.
In the eliminator against UP Warriorz, Mumbai will be hoping to continue their winning momentum and make it to the final. They will be banking on the likes of Kerr, Bhatia, and Sciver-Brunt to deliver the goods.
The Women’s Premier League has been a closely fought tournament, with all teams putting up a good show. It remains to be seen who will come out on top in the knockout matches and lift the title.
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