Mumbai Indians continued their dominance over Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League with a clinical five-wicket victory at Kotambi Stadium on Tuesday. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, Mumbai maintained their perfect record against Gujarat, winning all five encounters while successfully chasing in the ongoing WPL season.
Mumbai Indians (MI) secured their first win of the season with a dominant performance against Gujarat Giants (GG), successfully chasing a modest target of 121 with more than three overs to spare. Despite a shaky start with Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia failing to make an impact, Nat Sciver-Brunt stepped up at number three and played a match-winning knock. She smashed a blistering half-century, providing the stability MI needed after an early setback.
Brunt, along with Amelia Kerr, built a crucial 45-run partnership, which significantly tilted the match in MI’s favor. Even after captain Harmanpreet Kaur had a disappointing outing, Brunt’s aggressive innings ensured that the chase remained on track. However, Priya Mishra eventually dismissed Brunt for 57, ending her explosive innings. Nonetheless, Sajeevan Sajana and G Kamalini stayed composed till the end, guiding MI past the finishing line with ease and sealing their first victory of the season.
Earlier, Gujarat Giants, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, struggled against MI’s disciplined bowling attack. Their batting unit crumbled, with only two out of their first five batters reaching double figures. The star-studded top order, including Beth Mooney, Laura Wolvaardt, and Dayalan Hemalatha, fell cheaply, leaving the team in deep trouble by the end of the fourth over.
Despite the early collapse, GG’s lower order tried to salvage the innings, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. The highest partnership of their innings was a mere 24-run stand between Harleen Deol and Tanuja Kanwar for the eighth wicket. Harleen top-scored with a gritty 32 off 31 balls, while Kashvee Gautam provided some late fireworks with a quick 20 off 15 balls, which included two fours and a six. However, their efforts were not enough to post a competitive total.
Mumbai Indians’ bowlers put up a clinical show, restricting GG with consistent breakthroughs. Except for debutant Parunika Sisodia, every bowler made an impact, keeping the scoring rate in check. The spin duo of Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr proved to be the most lethal, combining for five crucial wickets. Matthews was the standout performer, finishing with remarkable figures of 3/16 in her four-over spell, while Kerr was equally effective with 2/22. Their dominance ensured that Gujarat Giants never got the momentum they needed to post a challenging target.
In the end, MI’s all-round performance—highlighted by Brunt’s fiery fifty and the bowlers’ disciplined effort—made sure they clinched a comfortable win, marking a strong start to their campaign.
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