Mumbai IndiansWPL 2024: Harmanpreet Kaur blitz helps Mumbai Indians qualify for playoffs

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored an unbeaten 95 to guide her side to a thrilling win over Beth Mooney’s Gujarat Giants at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The win for MI took them to 10 points from their first seven games, helping them become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Mooney won the toss for her and opted to bat first. Hayley Matthews provided Mumbai Indians with an early breakthrough, cleaning up opener Laura Wolvaardt in the third over.

MOONEY, HEMALATHA ATTACK

However, a massive 121-run partnership between Mooney and Dayalan Hemalatha turned the game on its head. Both batters went on to hit half-centuries before Sajeevan Sajana sent Mooney packing in her very first ball of the match.

Mooney, who scored a brilliant unbeaten 85 against RCB, smashed 66 runs off 35 deliveries while hitting eight boundaries and three sixes.

Following Mooney’s dismissal, Gujarat Giants lost wickets in a bunch with Saika Ishaque sending Phoebe Litchfield before Pooja Vastrakar cleaned up Ashleigh Gardner to reduced GG to 159 for 4.

Hemalatha continued her onslaught despite wickets falling at the other end. However, her innings came to an end at the hands of pacer Shabnim Ismail in the 17th over.

Ismail dismissed Hemalatha after scoring 74 runs off 40 balls, while smashing nine boundaries and two sixes. This was Hemalatha’s first-ever half-century in the WPL.

Bharti Fulmali provided Gujarat with a late flourish with a 13-ball 21 to help them post 190 for 7 on the board in the first innings.

Ishaque was the pick of the Mumbai Indians bowlers, claiming two wickets while leaking 31 runs in four overs. Interestingly, Harmanpreet Kaur used a total of eight bowlers against Gujarat Giants.

YASTIKA GETS MI OFF TO GOOD START

Yastika Bhatia and Mathews got Mumbai Indians off to a steady start in their 191-run chase. The two openers formed a 50-run stand before Tanuja Kanwar struck in the sixth over to send Mathews back to the pavilion.

Shabman MD provided Gujarat Giants with their second breakthrough, dismissing the dangerous Natalie Sciver-Brunt for just two runs. However, Yastika kept the scoreboard ticking despite wickets falling in quick intervals around her.

However, the pressure finally gave way as Yastika fell just a run short of her half-century, falling at the hands of Gardner. She scored 49 runs off 36 deliveries while hitting eight boundaries and a solitary maximum.

HARMANPREET DOMINATES

Harmanpreet then took the attack Gujarat, completing her second half-century of the season off 33 deliveries. She kept the tempo going, forming a crucial partnership with all-rounder Amelia Kerr.

She took spinner Sneh Rana to the cleaners in the 18th over, smashing her for three boundaries and two sixes to bring the chase down to 23 from the last 12 balls.

Harmanpreet and Kerr brought the game down to the final over with Mumbai Indians needing 13 runs to win. She then smashed Gardner for a six off the first ball and eventually saw her team over the line, while remaining unbeaten on 95 runs off 48 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and five sixes.

With this win, Mumbai Indians moved to the top of the WPL 2024 points table with five wins from their first seven matches. Meanwhile, Gujarat Giants remained placed at the bottom of the table with two points from six games.