"Looks like RCB Women gonna win before mens team" - Fans erupt as RCBW beat MIW in last-ball thriller to reach WPL 2024 final

The Royal Challengers Bangalore Women (RCBW) beat defending champions Mumbai Indians Women by five runs in a last-ball thriller in the WPL 2024 eliminator at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday, March 15.

With the win, RCBW qualified for the final, where the Smriti Mandhana-led side will face Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals Women. Batting first, RCBW put up 135-6 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to a fighting knock from Ellyse Perry, who scored 66 off 50, including six and eight boundaries. Hayley Mathews, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, and Saika Ishaque bagged two wickets apiece for MIW.

In response, RCBW restricted MIW to 130-6. Amelia Kerr (27* off 25), captain Harmanpreet Kaur (33 off 30), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (23 off 17), Hayley Mathews (15 off 14) and Yastika Bhatia (19 off 27) got starts but failed to take the team past the finish line.

Shreyanka Patil starred with the ball for RCB, returning figures of 2-16, while Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham and Asha Sobhana shared one wicket apiece.

Fans lauded RCBW for qualifying for the WPL 2024 final after failing to reach the knockouts last season. One tweeted:

"Looks like Rcb women gonna win ipl before mens team."

Here are a few more reactions on X:

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“Definitely Harman's wicket” – Smriti Mandhana picks turning point as RCBW beat MIW in thriller

RCBW captain Smriti Mandhana picked MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s wicket as the turning point of the game.

Mandhana credited Shobhna Asha, Shreyanka Patil and Sophie Molineux for three brilliant overs to help them defend 30 runs in the last three overs:

“What a match. Still, this feeling has not sunk in. At the halfway mark, we felt we were 20 runs short. But the way we bowled and fielded was amazing. 130 is a total where you are not sure whether to attack or defend, but the last over from Asha was unreal.

“(Turning point?) Definitely Harman's wicket. That over from Shreyanka and even the 19th over from Sophie because even Sajana is a good hitter, that 19th made a lot of difference.”

Mandhana reserved special praise for Ellyse Perry for helping the team post a respectable total by delivering in back-to-back games:

“What do I say of her now? She is a legend, the way she kept her nerves with 3 wickets down. Even when she came back in, she told us, 'we are in it, keep our nerves'. Feels unreal.”

“I'm really happy that RCB is in the final. One more day of good training and come back the day after.”

The WPL 2024 final will be at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday, March 17. DCW qualified for the summit clash by finish atop the WPL points table, winning six of their eight games.