Ellyse Perry starred with an all-round show to take Royal Challengers Bangalore into the Women’s Premier League 2024 final with a five-run victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator game in New Delhi on Friday. The winning team will now be facing Delhi Capitals in the summit clash of the event at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, March 17. Ahead of the final, a video of Delhi Metro has gone viral on social media in which the fans could be seen chanting “RCB, RCB”.
Watch it here:
“RCB RCB” and “Perry Perry ” chants in the metro too…
The love for cricket in our country pic.twitter.com/0cgZ6gRKCM— Rahul Kumar (@rahulk_1019) March 15, 2024
Perry Broke Punch Ev car’s glass pic.twitter.com/3sn7pNLslx
— Ashish |…. (@Ashishtoots) March 16, 2024
After the match, Ellyse Perry got a special gift. In one of the matches in the WPL, one of her sixes broke the window of the display car. She was presented with the window.
TATA has gifted the Broken Glass window to Ellyse Perry. pic.twitter.com/yPItU3IRc1
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 16, 2024
In-form Delhi Capitals, led by the inspirational Meg Lanning, would hope to be second time lucky and lift their maiden WPL title when they take on a plucky RCB in the summit clash on Sunday.
After missing out on the title in WPL’s inaugural edition last year, losing by seven wickets to Mumbai Indians in the final, DC looked a rejuvenated side this year.
DC have been in superb form this year, topping the five-team league standings with 12 points from eight matches.
Lanning has led DC from the front, scoring 308 runs from eight innings, while South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and Australian left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen are the highest wicket-takers for the side with 11 scalps each.
DC’s only two defeats this season came against Mumbai Indians UP Warriorz. Leaving aside those two matches, they have enjoyed a near-perfect campaign.
Going into the final, they will definitely start as favourites, having never lost to RCB in four meetings.
But having said that, past results will hardly have any significance in the final. It will be a new day and the the side which can withstand pressure and expectations will lift the title.
RCB, on the other hand, finished third in the league phase after an inconsistent run that yielded eight points from as many games but they clicked when it mattered, knocking out defending champions MI by five runs in the Eliminator on Friday.
All-rounder Perry will be key to RCB’s success on Sunday as besides being the highest run-getter with 312 runs, the Australian has been impressive with the ball, scalping seven wickets.
If not for Perry’s all-round show against MI on Friday, the result could have been different. She first played a vital 50-ball 66-run knock and then returned with figures of 1 for 29 to play a key role in RCB’s journey to the final.
But Perry would look for more support from the likes of skipper Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Richa Ghosh and Sophie Molineux with the bat.
However if RCB were to stop DC, they would need efforts from their bowlers, especially the likes of Renuka Singh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Wareham etc.
All in all it promises to be a cracker of a contest with the balance slightly tilted towards hosts DC.
(With PTI Inputs)
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