Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – WPL Eliminator Tips & Preview – RCB Aiming For A Dream Result Against The Defending Champions

Royal Challengers Bangalore women are two steps away from doing what the men’s team haven’t been able to in fifteen IPL seasons – win the title. They can look at this prospect as pressure or an opportunity to break new barriers. Their outlook on this scenario could dictate the manner in which they approach their Eliminator against defending champions Mumbai Indians.

RCB will be pleased having secured a playoff berth on the back of a dominating win against the same side they will play on Friday. It was their first-ever win over Mumbai in four attempts at the WPL, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Mumbai just didn’t put up enough runs on the board, and their pedigreed batting will need to overcome a mini-slump quickly.

A look at the points table may tell you otherwise, but Mumbai have been slightly shaky with the bat lately. Against RCB on Tuesday, they were shot out for 113. A game prior to that, they conceded 190 against Gujarat Giants and then found themselves in a doldrum, needing 91 off the last six overs after a top-order collapse.

One can only wonder what could’ve been if not for Harmanpreet Kaur’s 48-ball 95 that helped them pull off a heist. In the previous game, they were without opener and wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia due to a niggle. The absence of a left-right combination was telling. Her return could restore some balance at the top.

She had bowled all six overs in the tournament prior to Tuesday, but in a pressure game, she stepped up to return figures of 6 for 15, the best-ever in WPL history. Five of them were bowled, a direct consequence of her accuracy. This lends delicate balance to an RCB seam attack that has been overly reliant on Renuka Singh Thakur.

The other aspect of RCB that has been significant is their change in dynamics at the top. The decision to open with Sophie Molineux has taken some pressure off a misfiring Sophie Devine. The drop-down to the middle order gives her a bit more cushion. Equally significant has been Smriti Mandhana’s return to form after a dismal WPL 2023, where she couldn’t manage a single half-century.