Mumbai Indians ended their league campaign in WPL 2025 with a loss at their home ground at the Brabourne stadium. They fell short by 11 runs chasing 200 to win as they finished on 188/9 in their 20 overs.
MI finished second on the points table and qualified for their third playoffs on the bounce. The side won the inaugural season of the WPL in 2023, lost to RCB in the final in 2024 and now will take on Gujarat Giants for a place in the final. This loss to MI means that Delhi Capitals have qualified directly for the final as they finished on top of the points table with 10 points and a better NRR than Mumbai Indians.
Chasing 200 to win, RCB bowlers kept a check on the MI scoring rate inside the powerplay. They lost their openers inside the powerplay. However, it was Harmmanpreet Kaur's wicket in the 11th over that gave RCB an opening. She was dismissed for 20 off 18 balls as her partnership of 40 runs with Nat Sciver-Brunt ended.
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RCB Overcome S Sajana's Cameo In The Final Over To Earn Consolation Win
Nat Sciver-Brunt (69 off 35) then played a lone hand with wickets falling at the other hand. She hit nine fours and two sixes as she scored at a strike rate of almost 200 during her innings. Ellyse Perry finally dismissed her in the 15th over of the innings, gaining control of the match.
The match became interesting once again in the final over with MI requiring 28 off the last six balls. Perry bowled a few wides to start the over. S Sajana then hit the RCB all-rounder for two sixes to bring down the equation to 12 off 3. The experienced all-rounder kept her calm and dismissed her eventually in the penultimate delivery of the match. In the end, MI fell 11 short of their target.
Previously, MI won the toss and asked RCB to bat first. Skipper Smriti Mandhana scored 53 off 37 balls to give her team a good start. Alongside her Sabbhineni Meghana (26 off 13) scored at a strike rate of 200 inside the powerplay. Then it was Perry who scored 49 * off 38 to anchor the side in the middle-overs. Richa Ghosh (36 off 22) and Georgia Wareham (31 off 10) then played cameos to take RCB to 199/3.
"This ground is only about saving the boundaries. The last two overs we gave 40 and that cost us, apart from that we did well in the game. We saw in the last game 180 was chaseable. The way Sajana was batting we had hope she will win the game for us but good to see that other batters also contributed" MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said after the game.
Thus the final game turned out to be a thriller in the end with RCB keeping their nerves and earning themselves a consolation win to end their campaign. RCB finished fourth on the points table as MI is all set to play the Eliminator against Gujarat Giants on March 13 at the Braboune stadium for a place in the final on March 15.
