Mumbai Indians triumphed over Gujarat Giants by 47 runs in the WPL Eliminator, scoring 213 for 4 with standout performances from Nat Sciver-Brunt (77), Hayley Matthews (77), and Harmanpreet Kaur (36). Despite Gujarat’s Danielle Gibson contributing 34 runs, poor fielding—highlighted by four dropped catches—hampered their chase, leading to a total of 166. The Giants struggled from the outset, losing key players early, including Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner. Mumbai’s robust batting and exceptional fielding—including multiple run-outs—secured their place in the WPL final against Delhi Capitals, extending their head-to-head record over Gujarat to 7-0.
Mumbai Indians scored 213 for 4 (Sciver-Brunt 77, Matthews 77, Harmanpreet 36, Gibson 2-40) defeating Gujarat Giants who made 166 (Gibson 34, Litchfield 31, Matthews 3-31, Kerr 2-28) by 47 runs
The Giants faced a setback without Deandra Dottin for their first knockout match in three WPLs, as the allrounder sustained an injury just five minutes prior to the toss, with England’s Danielle Gibson stepping in as her replacement. The Giants’ fielding was subpar, leading to multiple misfields and four dropped catches that significantly impacted their performance. During the run chase, they lost their top three scorers of the season—Beth Mooney, Harleen Deol, and Ashleigh Gardner—within the powerplay, as Mumbai efficiently capitalized on their catch opportunities and executed run-outs.
Phoebe Litchfield managed a brisk 31 off 20 balls, but her stumping off Amelia Kerr marked the end of the Giants’ hopes at 107 for 5, with the required run rate exceeding 13 runs per over.
Matthews and Sciver-Brunt establish a strong foundation
Choosing to bat first, Mumbai returned to their opener Yastika Bhatia, but the change didn’t alter her fortunes. She made three boundaries in her 14-ball stint during a cautious powerplay, where MI played conservatively. Eventually, Bhatia was dismissed for 14 after pulling Gibson to midwicket.
This brought the in-form Sciver-Brunt to the crease, who quickly partnered with Matthews, who started slowly but shifted gears after managing just 17 runs off her first 22 balls. Sciver-Brunt took an aggressive approach, finishing the seventh over with back-to-back boundaries, and Matthews soon followed up with a trio of fours off three balls from Priya Mishra, elevating the run rate above eight an over. Notably, three of those five consecutive fours came from short balls, a length the Giants bowlers frequently provided and were punished for.
Additional sloppy fielding from the Giants resulted in more boundaries, with Sciver-Brunt driving to deep cover in the ninth over, where Simran Shaikh failed to field cleanly. Shortly after, Sciver-Brunt reverse paddled Gardner for her fifth boundary in just 12 balls. Kashvee Gautam also let a ball slip through at point when Matthews cut it square. At that point, Matthews had found her rhythm, as a six off Tanuja Kanwar’s short ball propelled her to fifty off 36 balls, marking the team’s 100 runs in 11 overs.
With Mumbai at 111 for 1 after 12 overs, Meghna Singh and Mishra managed to restore some balance, conceding just 13 runs across two overs. However, with Mumbai positioned at 124 for 1 with six overs remaining, the time had come to up the ante.
Harmanpreet once again dominates the Giants
Having already donned her helmet in the dugout, Harmanpreet was eagerly shadow-practicing her swings in anticipation of her turn. Sciver-Brunt quickly dispatched Gibson over deep midwicket and long-on, bringing up a 29-ball fifty. The Giants, meanwhile, struggled further when the usually dependable Gardner dropped a catch off Matthews when she was on 57.
Matthews capitalized promptly, striking consecutive sixes off Mishra using precise footwork. Remarkably, even a top-edge from the following ball yielded four runs. However, Matthews’ luck ran out when she edged Gautam behind for 77 off 50 balls, with Mooney making a sharp catch standing up.
Before this game, Harmanpreet had an astonishing average of nearly 79 against the Giants, a figure that could have potentially dropped had Mishra held onto a catch at midwicket while she was on 1. Nevertheless, she was given a second chance and transformed into the “Harmonster.” She took a deep stance and targeted the ball whether it was positioned perfectly or not.
Beginning the 18th over, Harmanpreet clobbered Kanwar for 6, 4, 4—which even included a misfield—before sealing the over with her signature slog-sweep for six. That over concluded with a total of 22 runs. Sciver-Brunt was also given a lifeline in the next over, which included two boundaries off Gibson, as Kanwar misjudged a high catch. The Giants faced further punishment with the next delivery, but they finally ended the partnership when Litchfield managed a catch at deep midwicket, leaving Sciver-Brunt just seven runs short of 500 this season, and three shy of 1000 in her overall WPL career.
Harmanpreet received two favorable deliveries in the slot at the start of the last over, which she capitalized on with quick sixes. Meghna, however, finished strongly, allowing just two runs off the next three balls before executing a yorker that led to Harmanpreet being run out for 36.
Mumbai’s fielders exemplify excellence
In just five balls, the hosts showcased their fielding prowess, despite facing dew conditions. After Shabnim Ismail induced an edge from Mooney, Matthews made a remarkable leap to her right from first slip, securing the catch. Later, when Harleen Deol and Gibson found themselves in a mix-up in the fifth over, 20-year-old Sanskriti Gupta executed a perfect dive at point and quickly threw the ball to the wicketkeeper, catching Deol short. Before the halfway mark, Gibson also failed to make her ground while attempting a second run; her dive was insufficient to beat Amanjot Kaur’s flat throw from the deep.
In the interim, Gardner’s off stump was taken by Matthews, leaving the Giants in a dire position at 43 for 3 during the powerplay. Litchfield emerged as their solitary hope, skillfully maneuvering her feet against Kerr and securing boundaries on both sides of the wicket against Ismail. However, when Litchfield ventured out of her crease against Kerr once more and missed, Bhatia completed the stumping, reducing the Giants to 107 for 5.
Another run-out seals Giants’ fate
Devoid of momentum, the Giants’ poor running added to their woes. The next to succumb was Gautam, who was sent back after attempting a quick single following a drilled shot to cover, where Harmanpreet made a swift return throw for the sixth wicket.
With 102 runs needed from the last 42 balls and their top five dismissed, the only glimmer of hope for the Giants rested with Bharti Fulmali. She began aggressively, hitting a straight six off Amanjot, dispatching Kerr to the leg-side boundary, and scoring consecutive boundaries against Matthews behind square. However, when Fulmali attempted to connect for a third consecutive boundary, Matthews outsmarted her with a clever delivery that bowled her out.
Mumbai’s exemplary fielding continued as Harmanpreet made a diving catch to dismiss Shaikh, and Sciver-Brunt sprinted to her left at deep midwicket, ultimately securing victory in the final over.
Vishal Dikshit is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo