The Mumbai Indians defeated the Gujarat Giants by seven wickets on Tuesday in Navi Mumbai thanks to a batting masterclass from Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored an undefeated 71. This was the team’s most successful chase in the Women’s Premier League.
Put into bat, Georgia Wareham (43 not out) and Bharti Fulmali (36 not out) helped the Gujarat Giants achieve 192/5.
In pursuit of the challenging target, Harmanpreet scored her 10th half-century in the WPL with 33 balls and became the first Indian player in the league to surpass 1,000 runs.
With seven fours and two sixes, she finished with 71 not out off 43 balls as Mumbai won the chase with four balls remaining, giving Gujarat their first loss of the year.
After losing both openers during the powerplay, Mumbai was in a precarious position at 37/2. However, Harmanpreet found a wonderful ally in Amanjot Kaur, who produced a brilliant knock of 40 off 26 balls with seven fours.
The partnership turned the tide of the match in Mumbai’s favor by adding 72 runs off of just 44 balls. In order to control the asking rate, Harmanpreet launched Ashleigh Gardner over long-on after lofting Renuka Singh over mid-off. Amanjot was especially harsh on anything loose, utilizing the paddle and the slog to find the fine-leg and mid-wicket boundaries.
Nicola Carey joined Harmanpreet after Amanjot was removed, and she added the ideal closing touch with an undefeated 37 off 22 balls, including six fours. To seal the victory, the two put on an uninterrupted 84-run combination from 43 deliveries.
Harmanpreet made Gujarat pay a heavy price after being dropped twice during her innings, and Mumbai won to tighten their grip on a playoff spot.
Earlier, Gujarat Giants scored 192 for five thanks to a late surge by Georgia Wareham and Bharti Fulmali.
After Ayushi Soni was retired out, Fulmali took the most of a tactical promotion by blasting 36 off just 15 deliveries with three sixes and as many fours, while Wareham stayed undefeated on 43 off 33 balls, hitting four fours and a six.
Gujarat scored 49 runs from the final three overs thanks to Fulmali’s late attack, which featured two sixes and a four off Amanjot Kaur in the penultimate 23-run over.
After a reprieve to Beth Mooney in the first over when Mumbai’s 17-year-old wicketkeeper Gunalan Kamalini missed an easy opportunity, Gujarat were in a strong position.
In an 18-run second over, Mooney took full advantage of it, hitting Hayley Matthews for consecutive fours. Mooney and Kanika Ahuja dominated the powerplay after Sophie Devine (8) edged Shabnim Ismail.
In her quick 20 off nine balls, Ahuja hit three fours and a six, and Mooney quickly reached 32 off 24. Together, they added 42 in just 24 balls to put Gujarat at 62 for one.
Ahuja and captain Gardner maintained the pace after Mooney was caught and bowled for 33 by Amelia Kerr in the seventh over, leading Gujarat to 96/2 in nine overs. But Mumbai rallied as Matthews caught Ahuja (35) at long-on and Nicola Carey trapped Gardner (20), leaving Gujarat at 99/4.
The innings was further slowed by Ayushi’s sluggish 11 off 14, but a solid finish was guaranteed by Fulmali and Wareham’s late assault.
