Synopsis
Mumbai Indians opted to bowl first against RCB in their home game at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Both teams field unchanged starting XIs. The Bengaluru crowd welcomed the teams with enthusiasm.Key Takeaways
- Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bowl first.
- This is RCB's first home game as defending champions.
- The match features unchanged lineups for both teams.
- Smriti Mandhana expressed excitement about the crowd support.
- RCB won their last encounter against Mumbai in the 2024 WPL Eliminator.
Bengaluru, Feb 21 (NationPress) Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Both teams confirmed they are fielding the same starting XI as their previous matches.
This match marks RCB's first home game as the defending champions, with the Bengaluru leg having kicked off on Friday. The atmosphere was electric, as the sold-out crowd at Chinnaswamy erupted in applause when skipper Smriti Mandhana stepped forward for the toss.
“It’s wonderful to be back and receive such a warm welcome. Having fans around is vital for the team, as it truly motivates us. Everything we do is for them. We are proud of our performance in the last two games but know that cricket starts anew each time. We’re ready and eager. The pitch looks good; Vadodara had considerable dew, but Bengaluru should be fine. I wouldn't mind batting first here. We’re sticking with the same eleven,” stated Smriti at the toss.
The Mumbai team claimed victory in their first three meetings against this rival, but RCB bounced back to win the next two encounters. Their last clash was in the 2024 WPL Eliminator, where RCB triumphed by five runs before going on to secure the tournament title.
The defending champions have kicked off their title defense impressively, achieving victories against Gujarat Giants and the Delhi Capitals.
Conversely, Mumbai Indians, the champions of the tournament's inaugural edition, began their journey with a narrow defeat against Delhi but later dominated the Giants with a convincing five-wicket win.
Playing XIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Raghvi Bist, Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Ekta Bisht, VJ Joshitha, Renuka Singh
Mumbai Indians XI: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, S Sajana, G Kamalini, Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Parunika Sisodia
