Mumbai Indians held their nerve in a tense run chase to defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in a Women’s Premier League at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chasing 168, MI found themselves in trouble despite a strong start, but a composed half-century from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and a clutch finish from Amanjot Kaur helped them cross the line in a nail-biting finish.
In the first match of the season at the home ground of the defending champions, the visiting side restricted them to a manageable total and got off to a rocky start. Opener Yastika Bhatia was gone with just nine on the scoreboard. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews took charge and shared a stand of 57 to change the momentum of the game. But the thrill was still to come. Sciver-Brunt and Matthews fell in quick succession.
The run rate slowed down, and suddenly, RCB were back in the game. The spin duo of Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux kept things tight, making every run hard to come by. But in walked Harmanpreet and made a brilliant 38–ball 50 that put the pressure back on the opposition.
Wareham struck twice in two balls, dismissing the skipper and Sajeevan Sajana. With 22 needed off two overs, the match was hanging in the balance. Having already impressed with the ball, Amanjot turned up for her team when they needed her the most. She smashed two sixes off Kanika Ahuja in the 19th over that set up MI for a win. In the last over, G Kamalini finished things off with a boundary.
Despite Ellyse Perry’s stunning 81 earlier in the night, RCB fell short as MI once again proved their ability to stay calm under pressure and deliver when it matters.
Perry’s explosive 43–ball knock ensured that RCB reached a competitive total after being put in to bat. Thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s 23 off 16 balls, RCB got off to a flying start but her dismissal in the third over triggered a collapse. By the end of the powerplay, RCB were struggling at 54/3. It soon became 57/4.
Perry anchored the innings and stitched a crucial 50–run partnership with Richa Ghosh, who contributed an important cameo (28 off 25). Although wickets kept falling at the other end, Perry stood her ground and ensured RCB had a challenging total on the scoreboard. For MI, Amanjot took three for 22 from three overs.