RCB Beats MI in the WPL Eliminator: All Set to Face DC in the Finals

Summary: Royal Challengers Bangalore are all set to clash with the Delhi Capitals in the finals after beating the Mumbai Indians by 5 runs.

RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) were nowhere in the scene to get through, but they pushed themselves up and stunned the defending champions MI (Mumbai Indians) in the eliminator. Mumbai Indians failed to chase the total of 135 put by RCB and are now out of the finals. A special effort from Ellyse Perry led them to the finals, their maiden final. 

In the second season of the WPL, the Mumbai Indians had to chase 135/6 during the eliminators. During the last overs, the Mumbai Indians went from needing 43 off 30 to 20 off 18, eventually losing the match by merely 5 runs. In the last three overs, they were only able to make 14 runs for three wickets.

There were times when the Mumbai Indians seemed to be on track with the partnership of 52 runs between Nat Sciver-Brunt and the skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur. But it all began to scramble during the 18th over, which was bowled by Shreyanka Patil. In the first five balls, Patil failed to get Harmanpreet Kaur; however, on the sixth ball, she had her on the long side. 

This dismissal of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur shattered all hopes for the Mumbai Indians. In the 19th over, bowled by Sophie Molineux, MI made only four runs, with the wicket of Sajeevan Sajana. To talk about RCB’s batting encounter with MI, Ellyse Perry single-handedly made RCB reach the finals. While openers Sophie Devine and Skipper Smriti Mandhana failed to stand their ground at the beginning. 

Ellyse Perry, the star all-rounder, took the matter into her own hands when RCB was just at 51/4. She hit a half-century off 40 balls, and the crowd got to witness many boundaries as well. Eventually, the Mumbai Indians had her in the 20th over, but not before her remarkable 66 0ff 50 that pushed RCB towards the total of 135.