RCB vs MI, WPL 2023: 3 player battles to watch out for

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will square off against each other in the 19th match of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, March 21.

Both RCB and MI have endured contrasting campaigns in the tournament. The Mumbai-based team were the first to qualify for the playoffs, thanks to their five-match winning streak at the start.

However, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. suffered losses in their previous two fixtures and will want to turn things around in their final league fixture as they look to gather some momentum before the playoffs.

RCB, on the other hand, have been eliminated from the race to the playoffs. The Smriti Mandhana-led side have managed just two wins from seven matches and are languishing in the penultimate spot in the WPL points table.

Here, we take a look at the interesting matchups for the forthcoming RCB vs MI clash of WPL 2023.

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#1 Asha Shobana vs Harmanpreet Kaur

MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has been in impressive form in the tournament. With 228 runs under her belt from six innings, she is currently the leading run-getter for her side this season.

The seasoned batter has a wonderful average of 57.00 along with a strike rate of 153.02. Harmanpreet will be aiming to come up with another big knock ahead of the all-important playoffs.

While RCB's bowlers have let them down in the competition, leg spinner Asha Shobana has emerged as a bright prospect for them. She has relied on giving air to the ball to right-handers and has also been able to extract some turn in recent matches.

The 32-year-old has four wickets to her name in as many outings at an economy rate of 8.42. Smriti Mandhana and Co. would want the crafty spinner to get the better of Harmanpreet in the clash as they look to end their campaign on a winning note.

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#2 Sophie Devine vs Saika Ishaque

RCB opener Sophie Devine dazzled viewers with a scintillating knock in the side's previous encounter against Gujarat Giants (GG). The right-handed batter narrowly missed out on a well-deserved century as he was dismissed on 99.

Thanks to her breathtaking knock, Bangalore were able to chase down a stiff target of 189 in 15.3 overs to keep their hopes alive. However, she will face an imposing challenge against MI, as she will be up against in-form left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque.

Ishaque has been a standout performer for Mumbai, bagging 12 scalps in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.66. Notably, she got Devine out when RCB and MI locked horns earlier in the tournament.

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#3 Hayley Matthews vs Ellyse Perry

Hayley Matthews has starred with both bat and ball for MI in WPL 2023. The 25-year-old has mustered 208 runs and picked up 12 wickets in the tournament.

Her contest with Ellyse Perry in the game is expected to be an entertaining one. Perry has been one of the top performers with the bat for Bangalore, aggregating 224 runs at an average of 44.80 from seven appearances.

A closely fought battle between the two impact players is on the cards, as their performances will be key for their respective teams. Matthews has picked up several crucial wickets for her side.

She would want to claim Perry's prize wicket this time around, given the Australian all-rounder's red-hot form.