The stage is all set for a mouth-water eliminator clash in Women’s Premier League (WPL 2024). The Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will lock horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians. The Eliminator will take place on today (March 15) at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Chennai.
RCB vs MI, WPL 2024 eliminator
RCB’s journey to the eliminator wasn’t short of twists and turns, with the side managing to clinch a win off their last league game to qualify. The side will hope the captain to lead from the front, with Mandhana not having made a statement with the bat yet. Smriti’s top-score in WPL is 80 which he got against UPW on March 4.
RCB will hope Ellyse Perry to continue on her fine form and deliver in the eliminator. The Australia has been consistent across games in WPL 2024. Perry played a match-winning 40-run knock and took the first six-wicket haul in WPL history in RCB’s must-win last league match.
Richa Ghosh is another batter that RCB will heavily relay on. The keeper-batter will be instrumental in adding firepower in the lower order, which could potentially come to use in the death overs. Shreyanka Patil will be the bowler to watch out for from the RCB camp.
Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana (C), Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Richa Ghosh (wk), Georgia Wareham, S Meghana, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Shraddha Pokharkar, Renuka Thakur
Mumbai Indians eye back to back finals, trophy
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians will be chasing a second consecutive WPL final spot. Commencing the tournament as defending champions, MI finished the league stage on the 2nd spot with 10 points (5 wins, three losses). Yasthika Bhatia, who missed the side’s last league game, will make her return in the eliminator. She was spotted practicing with the side ahead of the knockout game.
Bhatia’s return would mean the return of S Sajana to the lower order. Bhatia will replace Priyanka Bala in the XI.
Probable XI: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, S Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, Humaria Kaazi, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque
