MI vs RCB Match Prediction: Who will win today's WPL 2024 match?

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) will come into their final league game, Match 19 of the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, March 12, with contrasting agendas.

With five wins from seven matches, the defending champions are level on points with table-toppers Delhi Capitals (DC). However, their net run rate situation means that they ideally need to win by a big margin to entertain the possibility of finishing at the top of the standings and securing direct entry into the final.

RCB, meanwhile, are placed third, with three wins. The result of the UP Warriorz (UPW) vs Gujarat Giants (GG) clash has made things easier for them, but they still have some work to do if they are to qualify for the playoffs. Ideally, Bangalore need to win on Tuesday, and at the very least, they can't afford a heavy margin of defeat.

RCB-MI clashes always promise entertainment, but results in the WPL have been skewed in favor of the latter. Mumbai have come out on top in all three meetings so far, and all of them have been by convincing margins as well.

In the reverse fixture, Amelia Kerr's sparkling cameo took MI over the line with seven wickets and almost five overs to spare. Ellyse Perry was the only RCB batter to cross the 30-run mark in what was a disappointing performance.

Can RCB fight hard and secure their first-ever win over MI? Or will Mumbai keep their good run going and put pressure on DC at the end of the WPL 2024 league stage?

---

WPL 2024, Match 19: Smriti Mandhana vs Harmanpreet Kaur takes centerstage for the first time this year

Harmanpreet Kaur missed the first RCB vs MI clash of the season with an injury, and Nat Sciver-Brunt took her place at the toss. This time around, we are all set to get a Harmanpreet Kaur vs Smriti Mandhana battle for the first time in WPL 2024. And if the table stays as it is, it won't be the last.

Harmanpreet and Mandhana have been in sizzling form in the tournament, even though the former has missed two games. The skippers have led their respective teams from the front and have been hard to dislodge despite coming into the tournament with concerns regarding their form and returns.

That isn't the extent of the RCB vs MI clash, though. Mumbai's red-hot bowling attack will be up against a Bangalore middle order that has come into its own lately. The likes of Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, and Georgia Wareham have all been among the runs of late, setting up an enticing middle-overs tiff.

RCB's decision to open with Sophie Molineux wasn't a very wise one, and if they persist with the same tactics, they could be easily outdone by a well-rounded MI bowling unit. Moreover, their bowlers haven't inspired much confidence, particularly in the powerplay.

Shreyanka Patil's return in the last game helped matters, but the youngster is dealing with an injury and might not be at her best on Tuesday. Even otherwise, Mandhana's captaincy has been woeful from a tactical standpoint, with the skipper making plenty of amateur errors in the team's loss to DC.

RCB have enough talent in their ranks to beat MI for the first time in the WPL, but Harmanpreet and Co. should have the edge. They are simply the better team on paper and come into the contest in good form. That said, Bangalore are unlikely to be thumped even if they do lose, and should be able to qualify as the third-placed team.

Prediction: MI to win Match 19 of WPL 2024.