Sajeevan Sajana’s Counter-Attacking Knock Lifts MI to 154/6 Against RCB in WPL Opener

Navi Mumbai, Jan 2026 : A spirited counter-attacking innings from Sajeevan Sajana rescued defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) from early trouble and helped them post a competitive 154 for 6 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening match of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium on Friday.

On a slow, tacky surface that offered assistance to seamers early on, MI were put under severe pressure by RCB’s disciplined new-ball bowling. England pacer Lauren Bell set the tone with a superb opening spell, bowling a maiden first over and consistently troubling MI batters with her movement and accuracy. Her persistence paid off when she dismissed Amelia Kerr for a scratchy four off 15 balls, inducing a mistimed shot that resulted in a simple catch at extra cover.

RCB continued to tighten the screws as Linsey Smith and Nadine de Klerk maintained relentless pressure. Despite brief resistance from G. Kamalini, who found the boundary a few times with confident strokes through the off side and square leg, MI struggled to build momentum. Kamalini’s 32-run knock ended when she chopped on to her stumps while attempting an ambitious sweep off Shreyanka Patil, who marked her WPL comeback with a crucial breakthrough.

The situation worsened for MI when Nat Sciver-Brunt was smartly stumped by Richa Ghosh for just four, and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur soon followed, edging a delivery from Nadine de Klerk behind the stumps while attempting an expansive cover drive. At 67 for 4 after 11 overs, MI were in danger of being bowled out for a below-par total.

That was when Sajeevan Sajana turned the innings around. Given two reprieves early in her knock due to dropped catches, Sajana made RCB pay in emphatic fashion. Displaying remarkable composure and clean hitting, she began to counter-attack, lofting Radha Yadav for a six and a four before pulling and driving Arundhati Reddy for consecutive boundaries.

Sajana found an able partner in Nicola Carey, who played a vital supporting role with a well-paced 40. The duo stitched together an 82-run partnership off just 49 balls, transforming MI’s innings and swinging momentum back in their favour. Carey mixed innovation with power, using the reverse sweep effectively and finding gaps in the outfield, while Sajana continued to punish anything short or wide.

Even when Nadine de Klerk returned to bowl at the death, Sajana remained unfazed, whipping and slashing her way to the fence. Although both batters were dismissed in the final over, MI had already done enough to cross the 150-run mark—an impressive recovery given their earlier struggles.

For RCB, Nadine de Klerk was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 4 for 26, while Lauren Bell impressed with her control, conceding just 14 runs in her four overs. Despite their strong bowling effort, lapses in the field proved costly.

RCB will now require 155 runs to win, with the prospect of dew expected to aid their chase under lights.

Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indians 154/6 in 20 overs (Sajeevan Sajana 45, Nicola Carey 40; Nadine de Klerk 4-26, Lauren Bell 1-14) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru.