The Bengaluru leg of the Women’s Premier League promised excitement, and it delivered just that in the first match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Mumbai Indians edged out Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in a nail-biting contest that went down to the wire.
Put in to bat, RCB posted 167 runs, with Ellyse Perry’s classic knock of 81(43) being the cornerstone of their innings. Smriti Mandhana chipped in with a quickfire 26 off 13, while Richa Ghosh contributed 28. Amanjot Kaur was the pick of the MI bowlers, claiming three wickets.
In response, MI’s chase started on a high note, with Nat Sciver-Brunt smashing 42 off 21 and Harmanpreet Kaur batting solidly for 50. The match took a thrilling turn when MI lost two consecutive wickets in the 18th over, but Amanjot Kaur and Kamalini Gunalan held their nerves to complete the chase. Although Georgia Wareham took three wickets, RCB couldn’t defend the total.
Highlights from the match:
Amanjot Kaur – 3/22(3) & 34*(27)
The 25-year-old delivered a match-winning all-round performance, starring with both bat and ball for Mumbai. With the ball, she was instrumental in dismantling RCB’s lineup, taking 3/22 in her three overs, including the crucial wickets of Richa Ghosh, Georgia Wareham, and Ellyse Perry. Her spell put RCB on the back foot, restricting them to 167/7.
With the bat, Amanjot played a sensational unbeaten knock of 34* off 27 balls, anchoring partnerships with Harmanpreet Kaur (62 off 49) and G Kamalini (26* off 14). She turned the game on its head in the 19th over, smashing two massive sixes when MI needed 22 off 12, sealing the win in style. Her composure and firepower earned her the Player of the Match award.
Nat Sciver Brunt – 42(21) & 1/40(4)
She provided crucial momentum to Mumbai’s chase with a blistering 42 off just 21 balls, laced with nine boundaries. She dominated the powerplay, stitching a rapid 57-run stand off 27 balls with Hayley Matthews and hammering three consecutive fours in the final over of the powerplay.
Her aggressive stroke play put RCB under immense pressure before she was dismissed by Kim Garth, with the ball crashing into her stumps at a pivotal moment. Earlier, she also made an impact with the ball, claiming the key wicket of Danni Wyatt-Hodge with a short delivery that resulted in a mistimed catch to short third.
Harmanpreet Kaur – 50(38)
Harmanpreet Kaur played a captain’s knock, anchoring MI’s chase with a well-crafted 50 off 38 balls, featuring eight fours and a six. She provided stability in the middle overs, finding the fence at crucial moments and building a vital 62-run partnership off 49 balls with Amanjot Kaur.
Her calculated stroke play ensured MI stayed in control, and she brought up her sixth WPL fifty in the 17th over. She struck back-to-back boundaries in that over to keep the chase on track but was dismissed in the 18th over while attempting a cut shot off Georgia Wareham.
Ellyse Perry – 81(43)
Perry’s 81 off 43 balls was the backbone of RCB’s innings, enabling them to reach a total of 167. Walking in at 29/1, Perry played a lone hand as wickets tumbled around her, smashing 11 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 188.37.
She built key partnerships, adding 50 with Richa Ghosh and 46 with Kim Garth, and brought up her fifty in just 30 balls with a boundary off Amelia Kerr in the 17th over. Her late acceleration saw her dominate the death overs before falling on the penultimate ball, mistiming a shot off Amanjot Kaur.
Georgia Wareham – 3/21(4)
Georgia Wareham delivered a brilliant spell for RCB, finishing with outstanding figures of 3/21 in her four overs. She first broke MI’s momentum by dismissing Amelia Kerr for 2, enticing her into a mistimed shot to backward point.
Her biggest impact came in the 18th over when she added a thrilling twist to the match with two wickets in two balls, removing the well-set Harmanpreet Kaur, who edged behind to Richa Ghosh, and trapping Sajana Sajeevan LBW with a brilliantly disguised googly. Her sharp variations and precise bowling put MI under immense pressure, nearly derailing their chase before Amanjot Kaur’s late heroics.
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