Ellyse Perry put on a clinic with both bat and ball to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a dominant 7-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians (MI). This victory not only secured RCB's place in the playoffs but also marked their first-ever win against MI. The two sides will face off once more in the Eliminator on Friday, March 15, fighting for a place in the WPL finals. Chasing a modest target of 114, RCB stumbled early, but an unbeaten effort from Perry (40) and Richa Ghosh (36) sealed the deal. The highlight of the match, however, was Perry's historic bowling performance, as she became the first player in the competition to take six wickets in a match.
Ellyse Perry exhibited a sensational performance with bat and ball, powering Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to crush Mumbai Indians (MI) by 7 wickets. RCB sailed into the playoffs with a dominating and first-ever win over MI. RCB will again battle against MI in the Eliminator on Friday, March 15 to seal a spot in the WPL finals. Although RCB lost a few early wickets while chasing a target of 114, Perry and Richa Ghosh played brilliant knocks of unbeaten 40 and 36 respectively to secure a much-needed win. Earlier, Perry scripted history with her incredible spell, the Australian all-rounder became the first cricketer to take six wickets in the cash-rich league.
The game began with RCB captain Smriti Mandhana winning the toss and electing to field—a decision that looked inspired thanks to Perry's phenomenal 6/15. Although MI got off to a flying start with Hayley Matthews and Sajeevan Sajana contributing 43 runs in the powerplay, Sophie Devine provided the necessary breakthrough by getting Matthews (26) out just as the powerplay ended. Following that, Perry completely took over, dismantling the defending champions' star-studded lineup.
During the 9th over, Perry delivered a crushing blow to MI, dismissing Sajana (30) and leaving captain Harmanpreet Kaur for a golden duck. She kept the pressure mounting in the following over, removing both Amelia Kerr and Amanjot Kaur. Perry's spell was nothing short of magical, leaving MI reeling as they lost seven wickets before even hitting the century mark. Ultimately, MI managed to scrap their way to 113, giving their bowlers a target to defend.
MI's bowling attack initially looked strong, claiming three quick wickets in a row. Nat Sciver-Brunt dismissed Mandhana, Matthews took out Sophie Molineux, and Shabnim Ismail delivered a stunning ball to clean bowl Devine. However, the game turned in the 9th over when Sciver-Brunt dropped a simple catch off Richa Ghosh at mid-wicket—a mistake that proved to be the deciding factor in the match.