WPL 2023 MIW vs RCBW Highlights: Mumbai Indians women win by 9 wickets, another miserable loss for RCB women

Be it any format, be it the men's game or the women's game, RCB's fate remains constant. They are not a weak side, not by any measure, but they have this habit of losing games from nowhere and the same seems to be happening with them in the ongoing Women's Premier League too. Once RCB lost their four top-order batsmen, they never recovered and were always behind. They have loads of soul-searching to do and Mumbai, on the other hand, are a force to reckon with. Mumbai Indians women defeat RCB women by 9 runs.

Mumbai are cruising through and they have registered a great partnership courtesy of Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt. Matthews has already brought her 50 up and looks all set to take Mumbai home.

Matthews is leading Mumbai with the bat too. She is closing in on a fifty and is taking the game away from Bangalore.

Preeti has got the 1st wicket for Bangalore and it's Yastika, who walks back. This was pitched on good length as the batter came down the track. But gets beaten and is plumbed right in front.

Positive start from Yastika Bhatia. She is hitting the bowlers and Matthews is also joining her well. Good start for MI.

And we are back with the chase. Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia in the middle for Mumbai as Renuka begins Bangalore's proceedings.

And Amelia has cleaned up the tail as Bangalore have been bowled out at 155 with 8 balls to go. This was an action-packed innings, full of boundaries, risky runs, and wickets. But RCB will feel they are well short of a winning total. The openers started well but MI bowlers kept striking. Mandhana scored 23, while Devine got 16. But wickets kept falling. The batters were also trying to counter-attack and the likes of Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, and Kanika Ahuja, among others got some starts but were not able to play longer. For MI, this was a good display as five of their seven bowlers find themselves in the wickets column. Hayley Matthews was the pick, with 3 wickets from 4 overs for 28 runs. So, MI need 156 and it should not be a giant task. Back with the chase.

Amelia has got her first wicket of the match. This was well flighted and came slow, Renuka wanted to slog it but gets beaten as she gets bowled out.

That's a big relief for Nat Sciver. She had a poor over until now but got the wicket of Shreyanka on the final ball of the over. This was pitched on a fuller length and the batter wanted to work it at square leg, but gets beaten as it hit it on her back thigh. She reviews the umpire's call and it's all three reds. 14 from that over.

Shreyanka is playing a crucial hand here and has hit 2 fours in her short stay till now. Can she keep going along with Schutt for RCBW? MIW need a wicket, though.

And Hayley Matthews has got the wicket of the big fish Richa Ghosh. She wanted to slog it over the leg side but is caught at mid-wicket by Nat Sciver Brunt. Bangalore go into a mess again. They are now in danger of getting bowled out. End of the 14th over and it's time for the second timeout.

Pooja Vastrakar comes and strikes in her first over, Took the pace off on this fuller ball as Kanika wanted to go on the leg side. She gets a top edge and wicketkeeper Yastika grabs that well.

After those 5 blows, Richa and Kanika are putting up a fight. RCBW have crossed the 100-run mark and this stand is over 30 now.

Bangalore have lost way more wickets than they would have wanted. They are 5 down and have lost most of their big players. Still, Richa Ghosh is in the middle and Kanika is a batting allrounder. Need a partnership. MIW have been good so far but could have killed the first 10 overs had they conceded a few less runs.

And, RCBW have now lost half of their side as Perry has been run out. She cut that behind point and wanted a single but was sent back by Richa. Humaira grabbed the ball and hit the stumps as Perry was well short of her ground. RCB making a mess.

Lot's of action happening on the field at the moment. RCBW are still going behind the bowlers even they have lost some wickets. Some risky running, boundaries, and a caught behind appeal, and it's all happening in Mumbai.

And now Hayley Matthews has sent RCB into a big hole. She has got the wicket of both Mandhana and Knight in the same over. The trick to bowl Matthews in front of Mandhana has worked. She has got her a few times and outclassed her yet again. MI all over RCB now.

Saika Ishaque is on fire at the moment. She has sent back the big fish Sophie Devine and Disha Kasat in the same over.

Mandhana and Devine have made a decent start. They are not hesitating in playing their shots and are going aerial from the first over itself. 17 from the first 2 overs and here's a change in bowling. Ishaque, who took a four-wicket haul has been brought in the 3rd over.

Out come the players as Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine will open the innings. Hayley Matthews to begin for MIW. here we go.

The pitch has something for everyone, says Sanjay Manjrekar

"It's a fair red solid surface and has a bit in it for everyone. It has a fair sprinkling of grass and that will help to bind the pitch together. The seamers will get a bit of help if you bowl first. It's slightly damp as well and should be helpful for the spinners as well."

One change for RCBW, Shreyanka Patil comes in for Asha Shobana

Smriti Mandhana(c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh(w), Heather Knight, Kanika Ahuja, Megan Schutt, Shreyanka Patil, Preeti Bose, Renuka Thakur Singh

MI go unchanged

Yastika Bhatia(w), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Issy Wong, Amanjot Kaur, Humaira Kazi, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque

Smriti is a bit luckier than me (with the toss). We wanted to field first and we got to do that. We have the confidence in our bowling unit and that's why we wanted to bowl today. We are going with the same team

We would bat first. It is looks like a good wicket to bat on and chasing builds pressure. We talked in the meeting that thinking about totals would not help. We have to play to our strengths and we will get score big. One of the top four batters has to bat deep and if we can do that then we will post good totals

RCB have won the toss and will bat first. 

The on ground conditions display there is a dust storm at the venue but it shall not be a delay.

Obviously Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers is a huge rivalry in the men's game. They have set a dominating win in their opening game and they are a dangerous side

When I come in my zone, I am clear in the areas I have to play, and it becomes easy for me. I need to just watch the ball and react to it instead of thinking about too many shots

It's Harmanpreet Kaur vs Smriti Mandhana in the WPL 2023 now. Two senior Indian players and two leaders of the national team will lead their sides rub shoulders against each other at the Brabourne Stadium. Hello and Welcome to the Live Coverage on this busy Monday for you guys. Kaur's Mumbai Indians take on Mandhana's Royal Challengers Bangalore. Two teams with some great power in their sides but a contrasting outing in their first gameplay in their second match of the tournament. MI thrashed Gujarat by 143 runs in the tournament opener, while RCB fell short of the humungous 224-run target by 60 runs against the Delhi Capitals. Both sides will look to overpower each other. So, grab a seat and take some snacks, as I, Varun Malik take you across the first-weekday game of the tournament.