Amanjot Kaur held her nerves to take Mumbai Indians (MI) past the finishing line in a nerve-wracking thriller against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday in the ongoing Women’s Premier League.
The formula for victory, which was winning the toss and opting to bowl, continued in the ongoing WPL season. In the high-profile clash against the defending champions RCB, MI implemented the same formula and reaped success.
In pursuit of an imposing 168-run target, MI lost Yastika Bhatia early in the powerplay for run-a-ball eight. Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt took the high road and unleashed a fierce counterattack on the RCB bowling unit.
Sciver-Brunt was the aggressor, while Matthews anchored the innings. MI raised 66 runs in the powerplay but lost Matthews in the process for 15(10).
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur stepped up at the crease to keep the momentum at her side. Sciver-Brunt went down fighting with a swift 42(21), setting the tone of the chase. Amelia Kerr was ineffective and returned cheaply for 2(6).
MI needed a partnership, and Harmanpreet took the onus of forging it with Amanjot Kaur. The duo raised a 62-run stand to keep MI in the chase. MI’s first six of the innings came in the 16th over, courtesy of Harmanpreet. She brought her 43rd fifty in T20 cricket with a single as MI needed 24 in the last three overs.
As the chase intensified, RCB mounted a comeback, with Georgia Wareham removing Harmanpreet from the crease. On the following delivery, she trapped Sajeevan Sajana for a golden duck, giving RCB a glimmer of hope.
MI needed something special as momentum continued to swing in favour of both sides with each passing delivery. RCB stood on top before the penultimate over, with MI needing 22 in the final two overs.
Amanjot Kaur (34*) smoked the ball into the stand on the first ball off Kanika Ahuja and ended the over with another delicious strike to clear the boundary, leaving MI just one hit away from victory.
G Kamalini (11*) and Amanjot rotated the strike before the former finished it off in style by thrashing the full-length delivery for a four, sealing a four-wicket win for MI.
Earlier in the match, skipper Smriti Mandhana got RCB to a flying start with a flurry of boundaries. Mandhana (26) looked destined for a rich outing but lost her wicket to Shabnim Ismail against the run of play.
MI saw the opening and capitalised by dismissing Wyatt-Hodge (9), Raghvi Bist (1) and Kanika Ahuja (3) in a cluster. Ellyse Perry took the mantle of entertaining the crowd and started her run fest by forging a 50-run stand with Richa Ghosh to stabilise RCB’s position.
Once Perry brought up her fifty, she put her foot on the accelerator and took the fight to MI bowlers in the death overs. Perry finished her outing with 81 from 43 deliveries to lift RCB to a fighting 167/7.-ANI
