Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women vs Mumbai Indians Women
On February 21, 2025, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru came alive under the floodlights as Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women battled Mumbai Indians Women in the seventh match of Women’s Premier League 2025. The match, a slow burn that ended just past 7:30 PM local time, thrilled a capacity audience as Mumbai Indians Women chased down a target of 168 with four wickets to spare and just one ball left. It was a classic display of individual brilliance, tactical nous, and a nail-biting finale that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
Batting first, post losing the toss, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women aimed for a target that could be tough to chase down on a batter-friendly pitch that was helped with subtle breeze towards bowlers. Openers led by Smriti Mandhana put serious pressure on Shabnim Ismail right from the word go, clobbering 26 off just 13 balls, which included four boundaries and a six before she was caught by Yastika Bhatia in the third over. Her 29-1 brought Danielle Wyatt-Hodge to the crease, who fled after a brief stand of 9 runs off 9 deliveries as Nat Sciver-Brunt sent her packing in the fifth over.
Australian Ellyse Perry, standing like a rock for RCB in their innings, crafted 81 off 43 balls, with her innings containing 13 fours and a six; she showed grace and power while the other batters kept falling around her. Wickets kept tumbling. Raghvi Bist could manage just 1 off 3 before being trapped by Hayley Matthews. Kanika Ahuja, contributing 3 runs off 9 balls at that point, succumbed shortly thereafter to Sanskriti Gupta’s spin in the eighth over, leaving RCB gasping at 57-4.
Richa Ghosh sparked a revival, partnering Perry for a 50-run stand, scoring a brisk 28 off 25 with three fours before Amanjot Kaur bowled her in the 14th over. Georgia Wareham’s 6 off 7 was cut short by Kaur, and despite Perry’s heroics, she fell in the penultimate over to Kaur again, caught by Ismail for 81, with the score at 165-7. Kim Garth (8 not out off 10) and Ekta Bisht (2 not out off 1) added late runs, pushing RCB to 167-7 in their 20 overs. Mumbai’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Amanjot Kaur’s 3-22 leading the charge, supported by Ismail (1-36), Sciver-Brunt (1-40), and Matthews (1-37), while Amelia Kerr’s 0-28 kept things tight.
Mumbai Indians Women’s chase began with aggression as Yastika Bhatia smashed 8 off 8, but Kim Garth struck early, trapping her lbw in the second over. Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt then unleashed a barrage, adding 57 runs in quick time. Matthews scored a rapid 15 off 10 before Ekta Bisht’s spin had her lbw in the sixth over, and Sciver-Brunt’s blistering 42 off 21—featuring nine fours—ended when Garth bowled her in the eighth over, leaving Mumbai at 74-3. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain, anchored the innings with a composed 50 off 38, including eight fours, while Amelia Kerr’s 2 off 6 was snuffed out by Georgia Wareham in the 10th over.
At 82-4, Mumbai needed a partnership, and Harmanpreet found an able ally in Amanjot Kaur. They went on to stitch a crucial 62-run stand, bringing Mumbai closer to the victory mark. However, Wareham turned the tide once Again by dismissing Harmanpreet-caught by Richa Ghosh-and Sajeevan Sajana (0 off 1) in quick succession in the 18th over, leaving Mumbai at 144-6. With the number of balls required now at 24 with 15 to go.
Amanjot Kaur stood up to finish unbeaten on a 34-ball 27, with her two sixes proving critical. G Kamalini came in from the other end, scored an unbeaten 11 from 8, finishing things in style with a boundary off Ekta Bisht during the 19.5th over, taking Mumbai to 170-6 and to four wickets victory
.RCB’s bowlers put in the effort, with Wareham 3-21 and Garth 2-30 standing out, while 0-28 in two costly overs from Kanika Ahuja and 0-19 in a couple from Joshitha VJ tipped the scales.
The essence of the T20 cricket being unpredictable was captured in the match-Mumbai’s chase swung between apparent domination and desperation, while RCB’s batting provided Perry with an opportunity to shine. The Mumbai depth, influenced by the calm of Harmanpreet and the late impetus of Amanjot, outshone the brave RCB effort, in another memorable night at Chinnaswamy, where the away side kept their nerve to win this match down to the wire.
Also Read: South Africa Starts Their Campaign By A 107 Runs Win Over Afghanistan
