The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That's that from tonight then but we've got one more round-robin fixture to go tomorrow. Delhi Capitals face off against the Gujarat Giants, who will want to end the tournament on a high with another win considering how brilliant they've been in the second half. Can they hand the Capitals a defeat ahead of the knockouts? Do join us to find out, same place, same time tomorrow. For now though, this is the troika of Pradeep Somashekar, Rajarshi Das and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for tuning into our coverage today as we hope you enjoyed it. See you again tomorrow - good night and take care!
It was the Ellyse Perry show tonight. And this will go down as one of the finest all-round performances in T20 history by one of the greatest to have ever graced the game. A dominant show by RCB and they sail into the playoffs. For MI, it was a day to forget and while this has all but quashed their hopes of entering the final directly considering the vast gulf in net run-rate between them and Delhi Capitals, they will be happy that their bad day is out of the way now. They're still a terrific outfit and one can expect them to bring their A-game to the fore in the playoffs.
Surprise, surprise! Ellyse Perry is today's Player of the Match. Here's what she has to say: Sometimes it just goes your way doesn't it? It was just nice to come out and play a great match with the girls. Nice to get a win against a side like Mumbai Indians - it was our first since the competition started. I really enjoy bowling. Our coaches backed me. Just felt that conditions were good. I just managed to find the right spot. (Is she at her best as an all-rounder?) The games come thick and fast so you never know how things can turn out. I loved that partnership with Richa, she released a bit of pressure. It was a tricky chase. Most importantly for our group, we're really growing in the tournament. We're getting used to the conditions in Delhi. Feels really great (to be in the playoffs) after last year. We don't know if we're playing the same opponent in the next game but it's just nice to be there.
Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore captain): The last match, losing by one run is not a great thing especially for the kind of effort everyone put. The conversation was that one run doesn't make us a bad team. That was a good opposition and we have played good cricket this season to keep our heads high. They did have a good start. Sajana batted really well and even Hayley had a good start. But somehow I feel there was some calmness today, nothing rushed. There was something really calm about the group from the morning today. Today's match was very important for us to get going. From the time we came to Delhi we've had two tough losses. The way Perry bowled, she didn't bowl in the last match, but to come back and take six wickets (was great). I was at mid-off and I just went 'wow'. We spoke that this was like a quarterfinal or a semi or a final. We didn't focus on the other teams or what the scenario is. We just said that we had to win this game and qualify. It wouldn't have been great to not win and qualify so really proud of the girls.
Richa Ghosh: I kept it simple when I went into bat, when I was keeping I saw it was keeping low and then I thought I go into bat, I have to bide time in the middle. It was a sad moment, but all cheered me up, the next day is ours and it was a fresh start today. Superb spell from Perry, the way she bowled was brilliant. I had to wait and pick the bad balls to score runs.
Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians captain): Perry bowled very well today, I think none of us took the responsibility to bat deep today. We tried our best, we dropped chances but the bowlers did their job, just not enough runs on the board. None of the batters could counter Perry, she was brilliant tonight. Today's game will teach us a lot of things, will ensure that what plans we have to make.
Match Summary: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets, qualify for the Eliminator!
They came, they saw, they conquered. We can even phrase this as 'Perry came, Perry saw and Perry conquered'. Ellyse Perry was ruthless from the outset with her six-wicket haul breaking the back of the Mumbai Indians batting lineup before she also top-scored with the bat and scored the winning runs. You can't ask for better days now, can you?
Especially when your team qualifies for the playoffs as a result of this! Royal Challengers Bangalore have turned their fortunes around this year and have secured a berth in the Eliminator. Fittingly as well for they have played some good cricket all through the tournament to be able to contest one of the games that matter. It was never in doubt tonight for all practical purposes but they were given a scare by MI's bowlers, who reduced RCB to 39/3.
Shabnim Ismail breathed fire and cranked up the speedometers. Unfortunately for her, the fielding wasn't good enough with a host of misfields and a rare instance of Nat Sciver-Brunt dropping a sitter twice. It summed up what was a tough day for MI but they did not give up, looking to put RCB under pressure with regular wickets.
Richa Ghosh, the tragic hero from the last game, then combined forces with Perry to steady the ship. And soon enough, Ghosh went into sixth gear, timing the ball beautifully over the infield and clearing the fence like only she can. Perry picked up a few smart boundaries of her own and after a point, it was a case of the inevitable. MI would have fancied their chances even at the halfway mark but a few big overs shut the contest for good with RCB coasting home with a good five overs to spare.
And we know now that the UP Warriorz and the Gujarat Giants are unfortunately out of the race for the playoffs. RCB though will return on the 15th of March to contest the Eliminator. It'll mostly be against MI again considering that Delhi Capitals now have to lose by a humongous margin tomorrow to see their net run-rate sink below that of MI.
How fitting is it that Perry hits the winning runs! She started it with that brilliant catch and six wickets on the bounce and she has the final say in what has been one of the greatest all-round performances you will see. Royal Challengers Bangalore win by 7 wickets and secure a berth in the Eliminator.
15
overs
115/3score
6
1
0
2
2
4
runs
Ellyse Perry*
40(38)
Richa Ghosh
36(28)
Pooja Vastrakar
0/26
14.6 Pooja Vastrakar to Ellyse Perry, FOUR! Fittingly Ellyse Perry hits the winning runs and takes RCB into the playoffs single-handedly! Length delivery on the stumps, Perry leans, on the up and lifted it handsomely over mid-on, runs away to find the ropes to seal the deal for RCB.