Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday to hand the defending champion its first loss of the ongoing Women’s Premier League.
While youngster G. Kamalini hit the winning runs with a four through the covers, it were the crucial knocks by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (50 off 38 balls) and Amanjot Kaur (34 off 27 balls) that steered MI to its second win of the season.
AS IT HAPPENED: RCB vs MI Highlights
Chasing 168, MI was dealt an early blow after Kim Garth trapped Yastika Bhatia leg-before in the second over.
After Nat Sciver-Brunt’s arrival in the middle, the MI batters sent the opposition on a leather hunt. The visitor looked to end the PowerPlay on a high, with the English allrounder hitting Ekta Bisht for three consecutive fours in the sixth over. Ekta pegged momentum back in RCB’s favour momentarily by sending Hayley Matthews back to the hut.
Garth removed Sciver-Brunt with a pitched-up delivery that rocked the latter’s stumps. Georgia Wareham’s imperious legspin foxed Amelia Kerr to reduce MI to 82 for four at the halfway stage. A 62-run partnership between Amanjot and Harmanpreet steadied proceedings.
Wareham sent back Harmanpreet and Sajeevan Sajana off consecutive deliveries in the 18th over to give the RCB faithful a glimmer of hope, but Amanjot and Kamalini held on till the end.