Sports

RCB Dramatic Comeback Twice Knocks Out Defending Champions MI, Sets Up WPL Final with DC

The undefeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated the defending champion Mumbai Indians (MI) here on Friday in the second Women’s Premier League (WPL) edition. The pursuit had its moments for both teams. MI lost the plot and the match by five runs while chasing 135/6 for a spot in their second consecutive final. The last three overs yielded just 14 runs for three wickets. MI needed 43 off 30 to 20 off 18. These kinds of difficult chases are frequently won by a single strong partnership, and MI appeared to be on the right track following a 52-run partnership between captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt. Shreyanka Patil bowled the 18th over, which marked the start of the reversal. It can be risky to bowl off-spinners in the last moments of a game to a batsman such as Kaur, but Patil remained firm. She was not scared to fly the ball and beat Kaur in the air on the opening ball of the over, but keeper Richa Ghosh failed to stump her. But five balls later, Patil castled Kaur, beating her in the air once more and catching her early.

MI was in disarray following Kaur’s departure, while RCB was tightening its grip. With Sajeevan Sajana out of the game, Sophie Molineux bowled a four-run 19th over, leaving Asha Sobhana needing to defend 12 in the last over. The 32-year-old caused pandemonium in both the 27,000-person audience and the RCB dugout by accounting for Pooja Vastrakar with just six conceded. Earlier, MI bowlers kept the opposition on a leash, with Ellyse Perry the only woman standing for RCB. RCB’s innings got off to a thrilling start with a 14-run opening over, but Hayley Matthews and Sciver-Brunt struck in three balls to send opener Sophie Devine and captain Smriti Mandhana back, severely damaging their hopes of building on the momentum.

Devine was guilty of playing inside the line to a straighter one from Matthews, and Mandhana lost to Sciver-Brunt after her two well-timed boundaries. The powerplay returns for RCB were a pitiful 34/3. In the first six overs, there were just six boundaries scored, including a 21-ball period without a boundary between the second and fifth overs. For just five runs throughout this time, RCB lost three wickets. Perry and Richa Ghosh, who were in excellent form, were given the opportunity to create a rearguard, and they approached the task with gusto. In Saika Ishaque’s eighth over, which scored 13 runs, the shackles broke. Perry found the straight boundary with her deft footwork, and then Ghosh lofted the final ball of the over for a six with a casual air. But the RCB hitters failed to locate a single boundary in the next 26 balls.

Ghosh ultimately gave in to the strain and mistimed her slog early in the tenth over. RCB were 51/4 midway through their innings. As soon as the entire audience had quieted down, Perry strode into Vastrakar and dumped her for a six-over deep midwicket. After her outstanding all-around performance against the same opponents three nights prior, the 33-year-old Australian seemed to be the only batter in control. Dancing down to her loopy off-spin and stroking it to the straight fence for a four, she welcomed Amelia Kerr. Sciver-Brunt ended the run-a-ball, 35-run partnership when Molineux smashed her over mid-wicket. However, the latter struck on the following ball, her slower delivery smashing into Molineux’s stumps.

Also Read: Manish Pandey is excited to play for KKR again in the IPL in 2024

During the 17th over, Perry showed his mettle by hitting two consecutive fours off Ismail, the first coming from a smart placement in the third-man area and the second following an impressive drive. To add much-needed urgency to the last lap, she struck Kerr for two boundaries, one through a sweep and the other off a half-tracker, in addition to reaching her half-century in the same over off 40 balls. She fell in the twentieth over, but not before hitting a refined, composed 50 balls for 66, which helped RCB reach 135 (45 off the final four overs), a score that would be sufficient on a night to remember.

Step into the exciting world of gaming with DojoLuck, Launching This IPL on Playstore! Visit the Dojo Luck website to get a sneak peek and Stay Connected on Instagram