MI defeated by RCB as Capitals secure direct final spot

In the final group stage match of the Women's Premier League season, Mumbai Indians faced off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The Mumbai Indians had secured a spot in the playoffs and were aiming for a direct entry into the final, while the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, had a disappointing season and were playing for nothing but their pride.

In a match played between two teams filled with star names at the Brabourne Stadium on Tuesday night, Smriti Mandhana stood out for her batting and captaincy, as she led RCB to a 11-run win. The result gave Delhi Capitals a direct spot in the final, on super net run rate than Mumbai Indians after both teams finished with 10 points. MI will face Gujarat Giants in the playoff.

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.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with IND vs NZ Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }