The WPL 2025 league season concluded on Thursday March 13 when the playoff phase started. The Women in Red from RCB-W played to spoil the celebration festivities for Harmanpreet Kaur’s team in the match against MI-W that stood as the final regular season contest before playoffs.
Additionally, RCB-W was seeking retribution for their heartbreaking home defeat to MI-W in their first meeting with the two teams. Numerous experts offered their opinions on the match and how RCB-W dominated the first champions, who lost by 11 runs and were unable to advance straight to the finals. Former India star Mithali Raj was among the experts who expressed her opinion. She said the squad had nothing to lose in the previous two matches because they were already out of the competition and commended them for finally carrying out their intentions.
“I think RCB came into this game knowing they had nothing to lose. They were coming off a loss, but in their previous match, they nearly chased down 225, which showed how well their batting had come together. Today, they posted a strong total of 199. It was great to see Smriti Mandhana back among the runs, alongside impressive performances from Richa Ghosh and Georgia Wareham.”
Mithali Raj
“The last five overs were crucial, where they scored over 70 runs, finishing their innings on a high. That final flourish made a huge difference. On this wicket, 199 is a competitive total. While it is chaseable, disciplined bowling with tight lines can make it difficult for the opposition. RCB executed their plans well today, and that reflected in the outcome.”
Mithali Raj
It’s going to be a very interesting match: Mithali Raj
During the interview Mithali Raj spoke about the upcoming elimination game between Gujarat Giants Women and Mumbai Indians Women. This game will decide the runner-up position while the contestants fight for tournament survival. Raj clarified the importance of the toss coming into this game as well as the potential benefits of the surface. She is also eager to know what the two skippers’ plans will be.
“It’s going to be a very interesting match. From Mumbai Indians’ perspective, both times they won the toss—once they successfully defended a total, and the other time, they failed to chase. So, it will be interesting to see what they decide if they win the toss this time. On the other hand, Ashleigh Gardner has always opted to chase whenever she has won the toss. However, Gujarat Giants have also secured a win while defending. It will be fascinating to see how both captains approach their strategy on this pitch, especially with a high-pressure eliminator at stake.”
Mithali Raj
