WPL 2023: Harmanpreet Kaur slams another Half Century as Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Giants

Mumbai Indians’ rampage continued in the Women’s Premier League here on Tuesday as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led squad surged to their sixth win in a row, demolishing Gujarat Giants by 55 runs. MI has therefore secured a playoff spot with three games remaining.

Following a resounding start to the first WPL against Gujarat Giants with a mammoth 143-run win at the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai Indians defeated their opponents once more with a superb all-round performance at the Brabourne Stadium.

Gujarat Giants, who slumped to their fourth loss in five matches and stayed in fifth place in the five-team points table, scored 107/9 in 20 overs chasing 163 on a field that offered something for everyone.

Gujarat was bowled out for 64 in 15.1 overs while chasing 208 in their last encounter.

In order to make up for her poor performance with the bat, Hayley Matthews returned with 4-0-24-3, while leg-spinner Amelia Kerr collected 2/18 to propel Mumbai to yet another stunning victory in front of a supportive crowd.

Nat Sciver-Brunt, who scored a crucial 36 off 31 balls for Mumbai and returned 4-0-21-3 after doing so, also put on an all-around performance. His innings included five fours and a six.

Saika Ishaque, an uncapped Indian bowler, went 4-0-20-0 without picking up a wicket, while all of Mumbai’s foreign bowlers claimed at least one wicket.

After being assigned to bat first, the Mumbai Indians looked solid but unsure of a big total at the midway point of their innings, having scored 64 for one in 10 overs.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, on the other hand, hammered a 30-ball 51 packed with seven fours and two sixes, propelling Mumbai Indians to a daunting 162/8.

Yastika Bhatia (44) and Sciver-Brunt (74), who added 74 for the second wicket, performed well to consolidate.

Following a quiet first half, Mumbai Indians went on the offensive, scoring 98 runs in the final ten overs.

Sciver-Brunt scored on the first ball of the second half, trapping the in-form Sophie Dunkley, who had blasted 65 in her previous match at this venue.

Sabbhineni Meghana showed early promise with some stunning boundaries, but was out for 16 in the sixth over from Hayley Matthews following a quick 21-run partnership with Harleen Deol.

Three balls later, Matthews struck again, dismissing Annabel Sutherland for a four-ball duck, leaving Gujarat reeling at 34/3 at the end of the powerplay.

Matthews (9) moved up to second place in the list of bowlers with the most wickets, passing Delhi Capitals’ Shikha Pandey (8) and UP Warriorz’s Sophie Ecclestone (8).

Gujarat Giants not only struggled to get off to a good start, but they also lost wickets in droves. Kerr disqualified Ashleigh Gardner (8) immediately after resuming after Isabelle Wong caught Harleen Deol (22) leg-before before the first strategic break (6).

Among the bright lights for Gujarat Giants was skipper Sneh Rana’s 4-0-17-1 stint and a 19-ball 20 that helped to slow the wicket-taking for a time.

Kaur lost her fourth WPL toss in a row as Gujarat Giants skipper Sneh Rana chose to field while making two substitutions. Laura Wolvaardt and Georgia Wareham were replaced by Dunkley and Sutherland, respectively, but the Mumbai Indians remained unaltered.

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