WPL 2024 Playoff: The Women’s Premier League 2024 is nearing its conclusion. Before the final league match, the top three teams that made it to the playoffs have been decided. The match played on Tuesday was originally just a regular league game, but it held significant importance for RSBC, led by captain Smriti Mandhana. Winning this match could secure their spot in the playoffs. While losing could have still kept the team in the top three, the path wasn’t easy. During this time, RSBC’s captain Smriti Mandhana outsmarted Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians with a clever strategy. This also marked a historic moment in WPL history.
Mumbai Indians Bat First in the RSBC and MI Clash for the First Time:
Before Tuesday’s match in WPL history, RSBC and Mumbai Indians had played three matches against each other. Two matches were in the previous season, i.e., in 2023, and one match was in the current season. What stood out was that Mumbai Indians had always dominated RSBC in their encounters before this. However, the tide turned this time. Whenever RSBC and MI faced each other previously, Mumbai Indians always chose to bowl first and comfortably chased any target they were given. When Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur arrived at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi for the toss on Tuesday, Smriti won the toss and opted for Mumbai Indians to bat first. Perhaps Smriti believed that the MI team had the capability to chase any target, so she chose to bat first.
Ellyse perry’s Magic Paved the Way:
Smriti Mandhana’s strategy left the Mumbai Indians team struggling. In particular, ellyse perry delivered a spell that brought the match to a nail-biting situation. After that, all that was needed was to carefully change the target. Mumbai’s team couldn’t play their full quota of 20 overs, returning to the pavilion after scoring 113 runs in just 19 overs. Following that, when RSBC started their batting, Mumbai also took early wickets, making the match potentially exciting. However, even here, ellyse perry stood firm alongside Richa Ghosh, leading their team to the brink of victory.
RSBC’s Team Reaches WPL Playoff for the First Time:
This marks the first time in WPL history that RSBC has defeated Mumbai Indians in any match. Previously, they had faced consecutive losses. This change is significant. Additionally, RSBC secured their place in the playoffs even before the final league match. However, RSBC won’t directly enter the final; they will have to play an eliminator against the second-ranked team. The winner of that match will advance to the final. Although there is one match left between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants, its significance has diminished. Delhi’s team is already in the playoffs, and after RSBC’s victory, the chances for Gujarat Giants have also faded away.
