WPL 2024: 3 landmarks reached during MI's impressive win over RCB in Match 9

The highly anticipated match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) took place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 2. Defending champions MI comfortably won the game to reclaim their top spot on the WPL 2024 points table.

RCB, led by Smriti Mandhana, could only manage a modest first-innings total of 131/6. Ellyse Perry played a vital knock for her side, top-scoring with an unbeaten 44. Both Nat Sciver-Brunt and Pooja Vastrakar picked up two wickets each for MI.

In reply, the Mumbai batters came out firing on all cylinders. They got off to a flying start with Yastika Bhatia scoring a rapid 15-ball 31. Hayley Matthews (26) and Sciver-Brunt (27) also chipped in with valuable contributions before Amelia Kerr finished off the game with a match-winning 24-ball 40.*

On that note, let's take a look at three big landmarks that were reached during the recently concluded RCB vs MI WPL fixture.

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#3 Amelia Kerr now has the best strike rate for MI in the WPL

Amelia Kerr won the Player of the Match award for her quick-fire 40* runs in the second innings. She clobbered seven boundaries in the 24 balls she faced.

Following her knock, the New Zealand star has become the batter with the best strike rate for Mumbai Indians in WPL history (minimum of 100 runs scored).

Kerr, who has made 267 runs for MI, has operated at a phenomenal strike rate of 136.92. On Saturday, she surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur on the list. The Indian captain has mustered 382 runs at a strike rate of 134.98 for her WPL franchise.

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#2 Highest powerplay score for MI in WPL

Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews have been phenomenal this season

A wonderful opening stand between Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews truly set the tone for MI to chase down the target. The duo added 45 runs in just 3.5 overs, keeping Royal Challengers Bangalore away from gaining any momentum whatsoever.

Nat Sciver-Brunt, who batted at No. 3, hit a couple of boundaries early in her innings as MI raced to 60 runs in the first six overs. This (60/1) is now their highest powerplay team score in WPL history.

Previously, Mumbai's highest score in the first six overs was 53/1, which also came against RCB in Navi Mumbai in 2023.

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#1 Ellyse Perry is now RCB's highest run-getter in WPL history

Ellyse Perry for the Royal Challengers Bangalore

Ellyse Perry, who sat out in the previous game, returned to the playing XI despite not being one hundred percent fit.

She, however, put all the niggles behind her and rescued her franchise from a precarious situation.

From 42/4, Perry took RCB to a modest first-innings total of 131/6. The Australian legend played an unbeaten 44-run knock, which also earned him the record of being the highest run-getter for RCB in WPL history.

Perry has now amassed a total of 328 runs at an average of 46.86 and a strike rate of 124.24. She has overtaken Sophie Devine, who has scored 305 runs in 12 innings.