Yet another high-scoring thriller in the TATA Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 saw the league phase coming to an end with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) registering an 11-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 20. RCB's victory sent Delhi Capitals (DC) into the Final as they topped the points table at the end of the league phase, thus also sending MI and Gujarat Giants (GG) into the Eliminator.

RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana's half-century and Ellyse Perry's 49* were instrumental in RCB setting MI a target of 200. While the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side came close courtesy of Sajeevan Sajana's late cameo, Orange Cap holder Natalie Sciver-Brunt's superb 35-ball 69 was the lone shining light in the run chase. Sneh Rana's 3-26 in four overs on a night that saw runs galore earned her the Player-of-the-Match award.

Earlier, going by the trend right from the opening night of the tournament, MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur put RCB in to bat after winning the toss.

RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana and fellow opening batter S. Meghana grabbed the opportunity to bat first with both hands. A rollicking start saw RCB score 41 runs in the first 3.3 overs, before Meghana fell for a superb 13-ball 26 which included four boundaries and a six. Hayley Matthews, one of MI’s stars of the tournament with both bat and ball, provided the breakthrough.

Mandhana, who had just the solitary 50+ score in seven matches before this game, looked motivated to end her campaign well. She got to her fourth TATA WPL fifty with an authoritative shot for four down the ground, amidst five other boundaries and three sixes. In an Amelia Kerr over that saw two dropped catches, MI were third time lucky as Shabnim Ismail held on to a Mandhana shot towards long-off, thus ending a superb knock.

With RCB 101/2 in 12 overs, Richa Ghosh earned a promotion up the order after her scintillating 33-ball 69 in the previous game. MI did well to keep Ghosh as well as the in-form Ellyse Perry relatively quiet, with RCB at 143/2 in 16 overs.

The shackles came off soon after though, and in some style. Ghosh hit two fours and a six off Ismail’s over, before Matthews once again turned partnership-breaker in the next over as Ghosh walked back for 36(22).

Perry was then joined by Wareham and the duo smashed 39 runs in the last two overs, including seven fours and a massive six by Wareham on the final delivery of the innings, and RCB ended with 199/3 in 20 overs. While Perry remained unbeaten on 49, Wareham’s 10-ball 31* provided the much-needed final flourish.

Matthews, who was the pick of the MI bowlers, could not continue her fine batting form. Sneh Rana removed both Matthews (19 off 16) and Kerr (9 off 10) in quick succession and MI were 45/2 at the end of the powerplay in the run-chase. While Nat Sciver-Brunt quickly jumped back on top of the Orange Cap race, Mumbai lost their captain Harmanpreet Kaur just after the halfway mark as Richa Ghosh took a smart catch behind the stumps off Kim Garth's bowling.

With a mountain left to climb as 108 were needed off the last 8 overs, Sciver-Brunt took matters in her own hands. A flurry of boundaries in the next few overs saw her get to a 35-ball 69 as well as the 400-run mark in TATA WPL 2025.

But just when she began to threaten to take the game away, Perry latched onto a difficult high catch off her own bowling to bag the decisive wicket of Sciver-Brunt and leave MI with 71 runs to get off the last five overs.

MI kept up the fight with the likes of Sanskriti Gupta and Amanjot Kaur contributing, but Sajana's late cameo of 23(12) sent a few shivers down RCB spines as the equation came down to 12 runs needed off the final three deliveries. Bowling the last over, Perry held her nerve with three dots including the wicket of Sajana to help RCB end their campaign with a victory after a run of five losses.

Mumbai Indians will face Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator on Thursday, March 13, with Delhi Capitals awaiting the winner in the final on March 15th.

Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 199/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 53, Ellyse Perry 49*, Georgia Wareham 31*, Hayley Matthews 2-37) beat Mumbai Indians 188/9 in 20 overs (Natalie Sciver-Brunt 69, Sajeevan Sajana 23, Sneh Rana 3-26, Kim Garth 2-33).

The full scorecard and match details can be found here.