MI loses to RCB, to play Eliminator against GG; Capitals qualify for final

Mumbai Indians face Gujarat Giants in high-voltage Eliminator after back-to-back games at Brabourne Stadium.

Having featured in back-to-back games at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai Indians will have just a day to reflect and reset before turning up again at this venue for the high-voltage Eliminator against Gujarat Giants on Thursday. It is a consequence of the host losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 11 runs in the final league game of the Women’s Premier League here on Tuesday.

With MI finishing second, table-topper Delhi Capitals has entered its third successive final.

Responding to RCB’s 199 for three, built on noteworthy contributions by Smriti Mandhana (53, 37b, 6x4, 3x6) and Ellyse Perry (49 n.o., 38b, 5x4, 1x6), MI was rocked by Sneh Rana’s twin blows inside the first six overs. The 2023 champion finished on 188 for nine.

Nat Sciver-Brunt’s knock of 69 kept the MI fans, surprisingly drowned out by chants pledging support for RCB, interested till Perry struck in the 15th over. The medium-pacer had been muscled for a four and six by Sciver-Brunt off the previous two balls, but she eventually had the MI star miscuing a slower ball and offering a catch that the Australian completed herself.

When it was RCB’s turn to bat, S. Meghana helped the team gather a head of steam with a contribution of 26 in an opening stand of 41. Once she was dismissed, Mandhana and Perry let three overs pass by quietly before laying into Kerr with 22 runs off her opening six deliveries. That would include two maximums by Mandhana -- a slog-sweep towards deep midwicket swiftly followed by a free-flowing extension of the arms to send a loopy leg-break outside off-stump over long-off.

MI didn’t help itself with some sloppy fielding. While Perry predictably made Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. pay for their laxity in the outfield, Georgia Wareham also blazed her way to an unbeaten 31 off 10 deliveries right at the end.

The scores: RCB 199/3 in 20 overs (Mandhana 53, Perry 49 n.o., Richa Ghosh 36, Wareham 31 n.o., Hayley Matthews 2/37) bt MI 188/9 in 20 overs (Sciver-Brunt 69, Sneh Rana 3/26, Kim Garth 2/33, Perry 2/53).