"When we lost my wicket, after that our batters could not hold their nerve" - Harmanpreet Kaur on the turning point during WPL 2024 Eliminator

Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had to witness a stunning turnaround from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the final overs after losing her wicket in an untimely fashion. The Smriti Mandhana-led side qualified for the WPL 2024 final after a nervy five-run win over the defending champions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday, March 15.

MI were tasked with chasing down 136 runs to qualify for the summit clash for the second edition in a row. Mumbai made a reasonable start, scoring 37 runs in the powerplay for the loss of one wicket. RCB then fought back with wickets, but Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr put on an important partnership for the fourth wicket.

After two big overs off Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham, MI only needed 20 runs from the last three overs. Harmanpreet narrowly missed losing her wicket after Richa Ghosh fumbled a stumping opportunity in the first ball of the 18th over bowled by Shreyanka Patil.

However, the young all-rounder got the better of Harmanpreet to conclude the over. With only four runs coming off five balls, the MI skipper took the spinner on, but found Sophie Devine at long-on, leaving the team 16 runs still behind with two overs remaining.

"In 12 balls we just needed one boundary and we were not able to get it. That is what this game always teaches you. It puts you under pressure and you have to keep learning from it. When we lost my wicket, after that our batters could not hold their nerve, that was the turning point," Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation.

"We fought really hard. This season has been a little up and down for us. Last season as a team we did really well but this time our performance was little up and down. But we learned a lot this season and hopefully next season we prepare really well and come [back] hard," she added.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux backed Shreyanka Patil's excellent work by conceding only four runs in the penultimate over that also yielded S Sajana's wicket.

Boundaries continued to elude in the final over too, with Asha Sobhana defending 12 runs in the final over quite comfortably.

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"At the halfway mark, we felt we were 20 runs short" - RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana after defeating MI in the WPL 2024 Eliminator

RCB were caught in a horrible position after winning the toss in the Eliminator. They were reduced to 23-3 in the fourth over and things were not looking good at the halfway mark of the innings after Richa Ghosh was dismissed for just 14 runs off 19 deliveries.

Ellyse Perry, now the Orange Cap holder of the tournament, single-handedly dragged RCB past the 120-run mark while batting with the lower order. The all-rounder scored 66 runs off 50 deliveries and Georgia Wareham struck a last-ball six to finish the innings.

"What a match. Still this feeling has not sunk in. At the halfway mark, we felt we were 20 runs short. But the way we bowled and fielded was amazing. 130 is a total where you are not sure whether to attack or defend, but the last over from Asha was unreal. [Turning point?] Definitely Harman's wicket," Smriti Mandhana said during thee post-match presentation.

RCB will face DC in the WPL 2024 final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, March 17.