RCB vs MI Match Prediction: Who will win today's WPL 2024 match?
A marquee clash beckons in the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) are all set to face off at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, March 2.
Both teams are coming off defeats that halted their respective two-game winning streaks. While RCB fell to the Delhi Capitals (DC) after beating the UP Warriorz (UPW) and the Gujarat Giants (GG), MI suffered a defeat at the hands of UPW soon after beating DC and GG.
Nevertheless, both teams appear to be in fine fettle at the moment, and their losses in their respective last games can be attributed to player unavailability. While Shabnim Ismail and Harmanpreet Kaur were on the bench for MI with niggles, Ellyse Perry was absent with a fever.
Momentum is important in a league like the WPL, and both RCB and MI will know that. Only one team gets direct entry into the summit clash, and with UPW winning two on the trot, the race is already heating up.
Fortunately for Mumbai, they can look back on their favorable head-to-head record against RCB for a boost. In their two meetings last campaign, the defending champions came out on top by nine and four wickets, respectively. Even the latter was a fairly convincing win, with more than three overs to spare.
Which team will be the first one to return to winning ways, RCB or MI?
WPL 2024, Match 9: Top teams look to return to winning ways
Smriti Mandhana seems to have found a way to succeed in the WPL, with excellent knocks in the last two matches. Her opening partner, Sophie Devine, however, has struggled to find the middle of her bat.
Devine's struggles have put undue pressure on the middle order to keep the run rate up in the middle overs, and while S Meghana has played two meaningful innings, she is far from a player who can repeat that feat each time. Devine needs to fire for RCB on Saturday, while Perry's return would also help matters.
One of Bangalore's biggest mistakes this WPL has been the usage of their spin-bowling all-rounders. There doesn't seem to be any clarity regarding their roles in both departments, with the bowling plans, in particular, going for a toss. Mandhana is known to be an unsettled captain, and she and the team management must change that if they are to succeed in the competition.
MI, meanwhile, will hope that Harmanpreet and Ismail are fit to play. While the former is in Orange Cap contention, the latter has been the team's most impressive bowler in WPL 2024.
If Harman and Ismail are back, Mumbai will be the definite favorites for their clash against RCB despite Hayley Matthews' indifferent form with bat and ball. The defending champs have enough in all departments to seriously challenge the Bangalore lineup.
While RCB have played well in WPL 2024 and seem to be one of the favorites to go all the way, MI can be a different beast when they have their first-choice players fit and firing. Expect them to win on Saturday, although the home side are also definitely in with a chance.
Prediction: MI to win Match 9 of WPL 2024.