DC clinch final spot with win over MI in WPL semifinal

In a thrilling match between two star-studded teams at the Brabourne Stadium on Tuesday night, it was Smriti Mandhana who shone brightly with her exceptional batting and captaincy skills. Her leadership guided RCB to a remarkable 11-run victory. As a result of this win, Delhi Capitals secured a direct spot in the final, edging out Mumbai Indians on superior net run rate, both teams finishing with 10 points each. Mumbai Indians will now face off against the Gujarat Giants in the upcoming playoff match.

Mandhana stood tall as she opened the RCB innings, taking a few deliveries to soak in the nature of the pitch. Once settled, she started playing elegant yet aggressive shots that raced to the fence – including one massive heave over the bowler for six.

The 28-year-old has been struggling for form this term. But she managed to put in an important knock in her team’s final outing this season. A solid 53 off 37 balls (6x4, 3x6) set the tone for the RCB innings. After her dismissal, Ellyse Perry (49* off 38 balls) and Richa Ghosh (36 off 22) continued the heavy hitting before Georgia Wareham’s quickfire 31 off 10 helped RCB finish on 199/3.

A hefty target on the board was one thing, but Mandhana needed to get her bowling changes right. She managed to do just that.

With Hayley Matthews looking particularly menacing in the opening exchanges – the West Indies player hammered four boundaries in her 19 off 16 – Mandhana brought in Sneh Rana on as early as the fourth over.

The change worked well as the spinner had Matthews caught at square leg with her third delivery. Two overs later, Rana got the better of Amelia Kerr as well as Mumbai lost both openers.

Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Mumbai captain Harmanpreet Kaur started to steady the ship. But another change in bowling did the trick for RCB. Kim Garth was brought back into the attack and Kaur was caught behind on the first ball of the 11th over. Another change of bowling in the 15th over and Sciver-Brunt – she scored 69 off 35 – was dismissed by Perry.

The scoreboard pressure compounded as Mumbai lost regular wickets thereon.

RCB did manage to end their campaign with a win, but former champions Mumbai are still in a position to win the title – only, they will now have to do it the hard way.

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