Match: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians
Date: March 21, Tuesday, 3.30 PM IST
Venue: Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai
Royal Challengers Bangalore Women and Mumbai Indians Women will face off against each other in the 19th match of WPL 2023 at the DY Patil Sports Academy on March 21. This will be the first double header of the game, and will be followed by a game against Delhi Capitals and the UP Warriorz.
At one point the Mumbai Indians almost made it to the playoffs. But after losing two games on a trot, their qualification chances depend on the result of their game against RCB, and also on the result of the day’s second game. For Mumbai to qualify, the Capitals need to lose their next match to the UP Warriorz.
RCB, on the other hand, have already been knocked out of the race to the playoffs despite winning their last two games. They were absolutely brilliant in their most recent game against the Gujarat Giants. A 36-ball 99 from Sophie Devine helped them chase down a target of 189 runs in only 15.3 overs. The upcoming match will be RCB’s last game of the season.
Sophie Devine is RCB’s top run-scorer, while their top wicket-taker is Shreyanka Patil. For Mumbai Indians, Hayley Matthews has taken the most wickets while Harmanpreet Kaur has scored the most runs.
Ahead of the 19th match of the WPL 2023, let’s look at the head to head total of both teams, pitch report, weather update and top picks for your MPL fantasy team.
Weather update and pitch report
The match will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, where we saw a few high-scoring games at the start of the tournament. Three totals of more than 200 have been scored here in the on-going WPL. But in the last four games, the average first innings total is 160. Expect the pitch to be balanced in the next game.
The weather in Mumbai is likely to spoil the party. There is a high chance of moderate to heavy rain during the match.
Royal Challengers team news and predicted XI
Team news: RCB may give a chance to their bench strength, given that they have nothing to lose in their last league match. Smriti Mandhana, who had a below average season, will be looking to sign off with a good knock.
Full squad – Smriti Mandhana (c), Renuka Singh, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Divine, Richa Ghosh, Erin Burns, Diksha Kasat, Indrani Roy, Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, Asha Shibana, Heather Knight, Dane van Niekerk, Preeti Bose, Poonam Khemnar, Megan Schutt, Sahana Pawar.
Predicted XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Richa Ghosh (wk), Asha Shobana, Megan Schutt, Renuka Singh Thakur, Preeti Bose and Kanuka Ahuja.
Mumbai Indians team news and predicted XI
Team news: Mumbai Indians will be straightaway eliminated from the playoffs race if they lose this game. Despite two back to back losses, they are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI.
Full squad: Natalie Sciver, Pooja Vastrakar, Harmanpreet Kaur, Yastika Bhatia, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tryon, Heather Graham, Isabelle Wong, Priyanka Bala, Dhara Gujjar, Humairaa Kaazi, Jintimani Kalita, Neelam Bisht, Saika Ishaque, Sonam Yadav.
Predicted XI: Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Chloe Tryon, Pooja Vastrakar, Heather Graham, Amanjot Kaur, Humaira Kazi, Sonam Yadav,
Head to head record
This will be the second match between the two sides. Mumbai Indians won the reverse fixture.
Five players to watch out for
Here we list five players to watch out for in the game
Harmanpreet Kaur – Mumbai Indians
Harmanpreet Kaur has consistently contributed with the bat this season. She is currently the top run-scorer for the Mumbai Indians with 228 runs in six innings at an average of 57 and a strike rate of 153.02, including three half-centuries. Kaur did not get to bat in the reverse fixture against RCB, so this will be her first outing against the team. The batter brings with her the experience of 151 T20Is, from which she has a batting average of almost 29 and she has also taken 32 wickets.
Ellyse Perry – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Ellyse Perry is the second-highest run-scorer for RCB with 224 runs from seven matches and has also chipped in with a few wickets. She is one of the best all-rounders in the world and a good choice for your MPL team’s vice-captaincy.
Hayley Matthews – Mumbai Indians
Hayley Matthews has been brilliant with the ball for the Mumbai Indians. With 12 wickets, she is their top wicket-taker this season and the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament. Matthews has contributed with the bat too, having scored 208 runs in seven innings at an average of 34.66 and a strike rate of 130. Matthews, one of the most destructive all-rounders in the world, is a good choice for your MPL team’s captaincy.
Sophie Devine – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Sophie Devine grabbed headlines for her sensational knock in the last game, where she scored 99 runs off 36 balls. She has so far scored 266 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 175 and has also taken three wickets. The Kiwi cricketer brings with her the experience of 119 T20 internationals, from which she has almost 3000 runs and 110 wickets.
Saiqa Ishaque – Mumbai Indians
Saiqa Ishaque has been the find of the tournament. The 28-year-old spin bowler from Kolkata is the leading wicket taker of WPL 2023 with 12 wickets in seven innings at an average of 13.41, an economy of 6.66, and a strike rate of 12. She took two wickets for 26 runs in the revers fixture against RCB.
MUM-W vs RCB-W – where and what time to watch the match live in India
The match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore will be televised on the Sports18 channel in India and you can also watch the digital streaming on the Jio app. The match will begin at 3.30 PM IST on March 21.
Check out our detailed guide on fantasy cricket for more tips and tricks. https://www.mpl.live/blog/todays-match-prediction/
Note: The players recommended here need not be a part of the Playing 11 on game day. Users are advised to do their own research also and follow official sources and create their teams.
Note: The players recommended here need not be a part of the Playing 11 on game day. Users are advised to do their own research also and follow official sources and create their teams.
