WPL 202425 Match Preview for the 7th Game MI

WPL 2024/25: Match Preview for the 7th Game – MI Women vs RCB Women

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On February 21, 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Mumbai Indians (MI) at Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB boasts a strong Indian lineup led by Smriti Mandhana, with key performances from Richa Ghosh and Renuka Singh, aiming to leverage their home advantage. In contrast, MI’s success relies heavily on overseas players like Nat Sciver-Brunt, supported by Hayley Mathews and Amelia Kerr in bowling. RCB has historically fared well against MI, winning two of five WPL matches. Players to watch include Renuka Singh, showing impressive form, and Hayley Matthews, excelling with her bowling despite batting struggles.

Match Overview

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, February 21, 2025

What’s on the Horizon: RCB’s Indian Talent vs MI’s International Stars

The powerful RCB squad aims to maintain their dominant streak as they step into the home phase of the season. This year looks promising despite the absence of several key players from last season, as their Indian contingent has risen to the occasion. Smriti Mandhana remains in remarkable form, Richa Ghosh showcased her skills against Delhi Capitals after an impressive outing against Gujarat Giants, and Renuka Singh’s bowling at the start has been a significant advantage. They will strive to capitalize on playing before their home fans at Chinnaswamy, where they secured three victories out of five matches last season. This season, they have four home games lined up.

Meanwhile, MI has been heavily reliant on their overseas talent thus far. Nat Sciver-Brunt has been a standout performer with both bat and ball; after her impressive 80 not out in a loss to DC, she scored a gritty 57 to help secure her team’s first win of the season against the Giants. In terms of bowling, Hayley Mathews and Amelia Kerr have emerged as critical wicket-takers. MI will be looking for enhanced contributions from their Indian players, particularly in batting, to post more competitive scores.

Team Updates and Predicted Lineups

RCB omitted Prema Rawat and brought in seasoned left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht for the clash against DC. Bisht returned impressively, claiming 2 wickets for 35 runs by dismissing Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen.

RCB (likely lineup): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bist, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Ekta Bisht, 9 Kim Garth, 10 VJ Joshitha, 11 Renuka Singh

MI made two adjustments for their game against the Giants by including Parunika Sisodia in place of Saika Ishaque and G Kamalini for Jintimani Kalita. Kamalini batted lower in the order and managed to score a boundary on her only delivery, while Sisodia conceded 20 runs in her two overs.

MI (likely lineup): 1 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 G Kamalini, 7 S Sajana, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Parunika Sisodia

Key Players: Renuka Singh and Hayley Mathews

Renuka Singh had a subdued performance in WPL 2024 but has made a fantastic comeback this season. Building on her success for India in the West Indies ODIs in Vadodara, where she claimed 10 wickets in three matches, she has utilized the pitch’s assistance with the new ball to capture five wickets in RCB’s last two outings. Following the victory against DC, she mentioned that she’s been focusing on improving her pace and outswing. She is eager to keep her momentum going as the competition moves to Bengaluru.

Hayley Matthews may not have impressed significantly with the bat yet, but her contributions with the ball have been critical. In the opening match, she dismissed the dangerous Shafali Verma with her off-spin, and in her second match, she finished with splendid figures of 3 for 16, restricting the Giants to a modest total of 120, earning her Player-of-the-Match honors.

Important Statistics

  • RCB has won two of their five encounters against MI in the WPL to date. Ellyse Perry played a pivotal role in both wins, with remarkable figures of 6 for 15 in the previous match in Delhi and scoring 66 off 50 balls in the Eliminator, propelling RCB to the final.

  • Every match in the WPL 2025 thus far has been won by the team batting second.

    • Sruthi Ravindranath serves as a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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