“Really have to tell we are sorry” - RCB captain’s public apology for Ellyse Perry after RCB vs UPW Super Over in WPL 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Women's team captain Smriti Mandhana has apologized to Ellyse Perry for failing to get the team over the line in the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL) clash against the UP Warriorz (UPW). The ninth match was played in Bengaluru on Monday, February 24.

The Australian all-rounder slammed a stunning 56-ball 90, but RCB failed to defend the 181-run target and lost in the Super Over. The Orange Cap holder was not nominated to bat in the one-over showdown after the tie, as Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh walked out.

Ellyse Perry only had Danni Wyatt-Hodge (57) for support with the bat, who was dismissed in the 15th over. The all-rounder took the charge single-handedly in the death overs, propelling the score to a competitive total. Even with the ball, she put in a decent shift, conceding only 10 runs off her two overs with the wicket of Shweta Sehrawat.

Smriti Mandhana remarked that Perry did not deserve to be on the losing side after her stellar display on the field.

"As a team, really have to tell [Perry] we are sorry. "It was brilliant to watch her batting. How could we not win that game for her," Mandhana said after the match (via Yahoo Sports).

"It was disappointing to be on the losing side, we did a lot of things right both with bat and ball. These things happen in cricket, we will come back stronger," she added.

RCB were deemed firm favorites after Kim Garth's superb over restricted UPW to just eight runs in the first innings of the Super Over. However, the hosts failed to chase the meager target as Mandhana and Ghosh struggled heavily against Sophie Ecclestone.

Ellyse Perry has scored 235 runs in four matches at an average of 117.50 in WPL 2025

The WPL 2024 Orange Cap winner is off to a strong start in a bid to defend her prize. The Australian all-rounder kickstarted her WPL 2025 campaign with a fifty in the record run chase of 202 against the Gujarat Giants (GG).

She has translated her form into the Bengaluru leg of the competition, scoring successive fifties. However, both knocks went in vain as RCB failed to defend targets against MI and UPW.

Perry has scored 235 runs in four matches, averaging 117.50 and having a strike rate of 160.95. During her stellar performance against UPW, she overtook her former national teammate Meg Lanning (782) as the all-time top scorer (835) in the WPL.

RCB are still at the top of the table, but their strong start has taken a severe hit after consecutive losses. They will next face Gujarat Giants (GG) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, February 27.