06 March,2023 06:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
MI vs RCB (Pic Courtesy: wplt20)
Smriti Mandhana's languid grace will meet its match in Harmanpreet Kaur's brute power when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Mumbai Indians in the fourth fixture of Women's Premier League 2023 on Monday. Mumbai Indians boast of a fantastic roster in terms of international recruits, including skipper Harmanpreet, who led the batting onslaught with quickfire 65 off 30 balls against a meek Gujarat.
With Nat-Sciver Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Saika Ishaque, Hayley Matthews in their ranks, the team looks invincible. So much so that Mumbai appears to have a slighter edge over RCB in terms of pure international talent. Royal Challengers also possess a star-studded Playing XI, with the likes of Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, and Heather Knight putting their world-class abilities with both bat and ball to display. The side is coming off a shattering 60-run defeat against Delhi Capitals on Sunday and will look to bounce back when they take on Mumbai.
Also Read: MI vs RCB, WPL 2023 Dream11 Prediction: Pitch report, Playing XI, and more
Both teams are built differently as Bangalore are believed to have banked more on quality batters in their top order, while MI's focus areas are all-round abilities and adding a depth to their batting as possible. However, it will be interesting to see who between Kaur and Mandhana reigns supreme tonight. With plenty at stake in the series, the onus will be on the star players of both sides and their battles on offer. Ahead of the fierce encounter, we decode the key player battles in this regard.
RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana can make a real difference to the squad. If one perceives carefully, Delhi could beat Bangalore convincingly only because they were able to dismiss the skipper. This is definitely something Mumbai will bank on as they look to utilise Nat-Sciver Brunt for breakthroughs. The Indian vice-captain has managed to amass 79 runs in just 66 balls off Sciver's bowling in T20Is. However, Brunt has also dismissed the Mandhana on four occasions.
Matthews will be relishing a challenge against someone like Renuka, who is Mumbai's rock in the bowling department. The former delivered an electrifying performance against Gujarat with a quickfire 47 off 31 balls. Renuka will like to make her presence felt against Matthews, who is in fine touch and can cause havoc.
Ellyse Perry has already been on the minds of the Mumbai camp, is known for her majestic knocks, and ideally, her positive approach is key. On the other hand, Amelia Kerr has always been among the wickets and persistent with her offerings. The New Zealand leggie has had several successful campaigns against Perry in the past, yielding only 42 T20I runs in 50 balls, and has also dismissed the Australian veteran thrice.
