3 things to look forward to in MI-RCB WPL 2024 Eliminator

The penultimate match of the Women’s Premier League 2024 will witness a knock-out between Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The Eliminator match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday, March 15.

Delhi Capitals (DC), MI, and RCB finished in the first, second, and third places in the points table, respectively. Last year’s runners-up DC made a direct entry into the final after finishing on top of the charts, making it two finals in a row.

The winner of the Eliminator will meet the Capitals in the summit clash on Sunday, March 17, which will be played at the same venue. While MI will look to defend their title and seal the last berth, RCB will look to make way into their first WPL final.

The inaugural edition of the tournament in 2023 saw a clash between MI and DC, with the former emerging victorious to lift the title. The top three saw a new team this time around as Smriti Mandhana-led RCB defeated MI in their last game of the group stage in a must-win match.

As the two Indian skippers gear up to face each other in a high-octane clash, here are three things to look forward to in the MI vs RCB Eliminator match.

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#3 A battle between middle-order batters

Both MI and RCB boast a strong batting lineup. While MI’s middle-order batters failed to put up a show against RCB in their most recent encounter of the group stage, RCB’s middle-order batters have looked in great form of late.

MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has been in fine form this season, and very recently notched up an unbeaten 95 off 48 deliveries against Gujarat Giants to pull off a record chase. Supporting her in winning causes is all-rounder Amelia Kerr, who has been terrific with the bat.

As for RCB, Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh have been the standout performers in the middle-order. While skipper Mandhana has been providing dream starts on top of the order, Perry and Ghosh have anchored the innings on multiple occasions to put up big scores and even complete chases.

The most recent game between the two sides saw Perry destroy MI’s top and middle-order with the ball and then put up an unbeaten 40 to finish off the chase in style. While RCB would be hoping for her to repeat the heroics, MI players would want to forget that encounter and put forth their best performance.

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#2 Shabnim Ismail and Nat Sciver Brunt’s powerplay tactics

Picking up wickets in the powerplay is not an easy task, and not everyone can pull off what Marizanne Kapp can. However, MI pacers Shabnim Ismail and Nat Sciver Brunt have managed to be among the wickets, especially in the early stages of the innings.

They have constantly provided their side with crucial breakthroughs, and are currently one of the most lethal bowling pair in the powerplay. Though RCB will want Perry to keep up her form with the ball, the fact that the all-rounder remained wicketless before the previous game cannot be ignored.

Comparing the two teams’ performances in the powerplay and the experience that their new-ball bowlers hold, MI will have a clear advantage. Notably, Ismail has picked up at least one wicket in each of her outings this season, while Sciver-Brunt has picked up eight wickets so far in as many matches.

The duo can be ruthless on their day, and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be hoping for the two experienced bowlers to be at their best.

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#1 Ellyse Perry’s all-round show

RCB all-rounder Ellyse Perry scripted history as she picked up a six-wicket haul, the first ever in WPL history, registering figures of 6/15 in her four-over spell. Notably, Perry’s numbers also went down as the best-ever across the two editions of the tournament thus far.

Mandhana won the toss and put MI to bat first in the recently concluded 19th match of the season. MI openers Hayley Matthews and S Sajana started on a high note, with the former hitting two sixes and two fours in the powerplay.

Sophie Devine picked up the first wicket on the final delivery of the powerplay and sent the destructive Matthews packing, thereby providing her side with the breakthrough. What followed next was a terrible collapse as Perry ran through MI’s lineup.

She dismissed Sajana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, in-form Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, and finally Nat Sciver-Brunt as MI’s batting unit fell like dominos. Thanks to Perry’s breathtaking spell, RCB restricted MI to a mere 113 runs in 19 overs.

In reply, Matthews and Sciver-Brunt picked up wickets in the powerplay, dismissing Sophie Molineux and Mandhana, respectively. Shabnim Ismail joined the party and dismissed Devine as RCB found themselves at 39/3 in 6.1 overs.

However, Perry (40* off 38) and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh (36* off 28) made sure that their team grabbed the crucial two points and put on a show. The duo showcased composure and finished the chase with five overs and seven wickets to spare.

Ellyse Perry, a proven big-match player, will be raring to go and help her side set up a clash against DC in the final. MI, on the other hand, will want to effectively tackle the Australian obstacle.