Ellyse Perry put up a sizzling display with both bat and ball to power Royal Challengers Bangalore into the Women’s Premier League knockouts.
In a must-win encounter Perry stole the show with a 40 off 38 and a record-breaking six-wicket haul.
Echoes of ‘RCB, RCB’ filled the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with ‘The GOAT’ flashing on the giant screen as Perry hit the winning runs to power the Challengers into the knockouts of the ongoing WPL edition.
Incidentally, the Australian all-rounder had gone wicketless so far in the tournament. But Perry saved her best for the must-win encounter as she turned in the best-ever bowling figures in the Women’s Premier League.
Perry turned in figures of 6/15 to send Mumbai Indians crashing for 113 -- their second lowest score in WPL.
A quick look at the RCB all-rounder…
Recipient of the Belinda Clark Award, Perry had an interesting start to her sporting career, debuting at the age of 16 for both the national cricket team and the national football team.
When she made her international debut, Perry became the youngest Australian ever to play international cricket. She made her debut in Australia’s second ODI against New Zealand in July 2007.
Perry was ferrying on two boats then. When she got her national call-up, she was also pursuing her soccer career, representing the Matildas.
Despite her tryst with football, Perry’s future in cricket was secure as she became one of the first women cricketers to receive a contract from Cricket Australia.
Incidentally, Perry is the first woman who has represented her country in the World Cup in two sports! She continued to ply her trade in both sports for a while, before giving her full attention to cricket.
With commendable performances and a cabinet full of trophies, Perry established herself as one of Australia’s go to all-rounders.
Over the years, the Aussie all-rounder has become a global icon of not just the game but also for women in sport. And a peek into Perry’s social media, it’s a colourful life – with travel and cooking! Perry has ticked her boxes both on and off the field.
At the 2024 Australian Cricket Awards, Perry won both the Women’s ODI Player of the Year and the Women’s T20I Player of the year.
Coming to the ongoing season Perry may have gone wicketless throughout the tournament, but she churned out a match-winning spell in the must-win fixture in the WPL. Perry’s sizzling show powered RCB to the Eliminator.
Following the win, Perry said, in comparison to last season, there was a sense of calmness in the dressing room. “There is a sense of calmness, and the team is enjoying themselves.
"In the dressing room and as well as on the field there has been lots of smiles and huge focus to just go out there and enjoy because it's a pretty special tournament and the crowd has been amazing from five matches which were super special and now being here in Delhi is just been a really great chance for the group to spend more time together."
RCB, who finished fourth in the inaugural edition, will next be in action on Friday, March 15, in the Eliminator.
