A win for MI gives them a direct shot at the finale. Whereas a loss will allow Delhi the first ticket to the final. MI understand the importance of the game and would leave no stone unturned to win this. RCB would want to spoil the party for Mumbai. A win here will also give them some confidence before signing off for the season. Mandhana will have to be amongst the runs for RCB to make an impact. The batting has relied heavily on Perry and that hasn't helped.

RCB started their campaign with two wins and it seemed they will go all the way again. But five losses on the trot have derailed their campaign and how. MI unit on the other hand started with a loss. But have managed to be very consistent post that. They have had two losses and both of them have come against Delhi who can be displaced at the top if Mumbai win tonight.

18:30 Local Time, 13:00 GMT, 18:30 IST: Hello and welcome to the final league game of WPL 2025. It was supposed to be a coveted clash. Rather it has ingredients of a mismatch as MIW who have qualified will play the table laggards RCBW. Fortunes have changed drastically for the RCB unit. They were defending champions coming into this edition and will be finishing last if they lose today.

Preview

It's the final league game of the season, with the teams involved having contrasting objectives. For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, it's been a season to forget apart from their record run-chase in the tournament opener. Already eliminated, the defending champions will hope to sign off with a win to avoid the wooden spoon. For Mumbai Indians, however, this is a big clash as a win will ensure a direct entry to the final at the cost of Delhi Capitals who are currently atop the points table due to a marginally better net run rate. It's all to play for, though Harmanpreet Kaur's team must also be wary of playing on successive days, which could be a physical challenge.

It's been a smooth campaign so far for MI who have won five games while losing both their games to DC. The opening combination has been a concern, forcing the think-tank to push Yastika Bhatia down the order but the promotion to Amelia Kerr hasn't really worked either. Hayley Matthews has been in decent touch after a slow start to the season but MI will want better opening partnerships. Nat Sciver-Brunt has been consistent after enduring a poor season last year, while skipper Harmanpreet seems to be warming up well at the right time.

While the batting is yet to reach its full potential this season, the bowling has been on song for most parts, riding on Kerr and Shabnim Ismail as the frontline wicket-takers. Sciver-Brunt has also played her role with the ball alongside Amanjot Kaur, making MI's attack an efficient one to deal with. There aren't too many chinks in this MI outfit and they'll be confident of getting the job done against a struggling RCB unit. For Smriti Mandhana's troops, they have nothing to lose and that could make them a dangerous opponent for MI in this fixture.

Mandhana's poor season with the bat has been one of the many reasons for RCB's struggles. Fellow opener Danny Wyatt-Hodge has also not fired on a consistent basis, making the batting unit largely about Ellyse Perry. To her credit, the Australian has put in a phenomenal show with the bat but when the team is depending on one batter all the time, it isn't going to take them too far in the tournament. Richa Ghosh has had her moments but on a whole, the batting unit has misfired for RCB. The bowling also has been up and down, often losing the plot at crucial moments.

On paper and form, this contest looks heavily in favor of MI but RCB have it in them to spoil their opponents' party.

When: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at Cricket Club of India, Mumbai

What to expect: Runs are always on offer at the Brabourne Stadium with its true surfaces and short boundaries. Dew could be a factor and might force the captains to chase.

Team news:

Mumbai Indians

MI are unlikely to tweak their winning combination but having to play successive days could mean a change for one of the domestic bowling spots. Parunika Sisodia hasn't really had much to do in her games so far and Saika Ishaque could get a look in after having been benched early in the season.

Probable XI: Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia(wk), Sajeevan Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

With this being a dead rubber for them, expect RCB to make a lot of changes to give their fringe players a chance. Heather Graham could get a game while Wyatt-Hodge could also be back in the XI after missing the last game.

Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana(c), Sabbhineni Meghana, Danny Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Heather Graham/Georgia Wareham, Richa Ghosh(wk), Kanika Ahuja, Charlie Dean/Kim Garth, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur.

Squads:

Mumbai Indians Women Squad: Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia(w), Sajeevan Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Parunika Sisodia, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Saika Ishaque, Jintimani Kalita, Amandeep Kaur, Akshita Maheshwari

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women Squad: Sabbhineni Meghana, Smriti Mandhana(c), Ellyse Perry, Raghvi Bist, Richa Ghosh(w), Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham, Charlotte Dean, Kim Garth, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Ekta Bisht, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Nuzhat Parween, Heather Graham, Jagravi Pawar, Prema Rawat, Joshitha VJ