Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched a nine-run victory over Gujarat Giants (GG) in their penultimate league match, boosting their chances for a direct WPL 2025 final entry. MI scored 179, led by Harmanpreet Kaur’s 54 and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 38, while GG’s Bharti Fulmali scored a quick 61. Despite GG’s strong start, Amelia Kerr and Hayley Matthews each secured three wickets to restrict them to 170. MI’s sixth consecutive win against GG puts them level with Delhi Capitals at ten points, with their next match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru crucial for topping the table and securing a final berth.
Mumbai Indians 179 for 6 (Harmanpreet 54, Sciver-Brunt 38, Mishra 1-23, Gardner 1-27) defeated Gujarat Giants 170 (Fulmali 61, Kerr 3-34, Matthews 3-38) by nine runs
The win brought MI’s total to ten points, equal with Delhi Capitals, with a net run rate of 0.298 (slightly lower than DC’s 0.396) and a game still to play. They are set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday in less than 24 hours to conclude the league phase. MI must secure victory in that match to claim the top spot and earn direct passage to the final, while the second-placed team will compete against GG in the eliminator.
Soon after GG fell short, coach Michael Klinger mentioned at the press conference that they aimed to chase down the target in 18 overs, which would have propelled them to the top of the table.
Fulmali’s onslaught puts MI on edge
GG found themselves at 70 for 5 in the 11th over, and Deandra Dottin had recently survived a dropped chance right before Fulmali came to the crease. Fulmali quickly got to work, scoring three fours off Sciver-Brunt in one over – one through the off side, one over cover, and another through square leg. It’s rare for a batter to overshadow Dottin and create issues for the opposing side, but Fulmali’s aggressive batting did just that. Shortly thereafter, Kerr bowled Dottin, leaving GG needing 88 runs from 41 balls.
MI continues to struggle at the top
For the second consecutive match, MI opened their batting with Kerr after being sent in. She faced Kanwar’s left-arm spin initially before driving Kashvee Gautam for a four. However, rotating the strike proved challenging for her, and she was run out after pushing one straight to Gardner at mid-on and attempting a quick run.
Matthews and Sciver-Brunt provided MI with vital momentum during the powerplay. They took advantage of the short boundaries – with square boundaries measuring just 58m and 52m – by manipulating the crease. Matthews hit her West Indies teammate Dottin over deep square leg for a six in the first over, followed by an aerial sweep off Kanwar in the same region for another six. Sciver-Brunt also swept Kanwar through short fine leg, helping MI reach 44 for 1 after six overs.
The Kaurs pave the way for a strong finish
Legspinner Priya Mishra dismissed Matthews caught behind shortly after the powerplay. As she’s been doing throughout the season, Harmanpreet began energetically – she executed a reverse sweep off Mishra through short third using the back of her bat and then attacked Meghna Singh during her only over. MI’s run rate hovered around the early sevens, and she, alongside Sciver-Brunt, ensured it never dipped. They added 59 runs off 40 balls before Gardner claimed a breakthrough.
This brought Amanjot to the crease at No. 5 for only the second time in the WPL. She drove Dottin through the covers and then displayed a special onslaught against Gautam, hitting her for a sequence of 4, 4, 6 to help MI accumulate 15 runs off the 17th over. Gautam ultimately had the last word by having Amanjot caught at long-on for a quick 27 runs off 15 balls, ending a 19-ball partnership that yielded 33 runs. Harmanpreet soon reached her half-century off just 31 balls, with MI accumulating 55 runs in the last four overs, which mirrored the exact target GG needed in their chase.
Giants hindered by early dismissals
After benching the underperforming Hemalatha, GG decided to open with Gautam and Beth Mooney, who caught a ball at cover off the very first delivery of Matthews’ spell. Although Gautam has the potential to hit big shots down the order, she appeared overwhelmed against the pace and swing of Ismail. By the end of the fifth over, Gautam was 9 runs off 12 balls, having faced nine dot balls while GG stood at 34 for 1. She narrowly escaped a 120kph short ball that Ismail sent her way, but ultimately fell in the final over of the powerplay, stumped off Sanskriti Gupta’s offspin.
Just two balls later, Ismail dismissed Gardner, caught low at slip for a two-ball duck, a significant setback for GG. While Harleen Deol hit five fours against the spin attack – three of them in consecutive balls off Matthews – she fell to a googly from Kerr, trapped lbw. Without Fulmali’s extraordinary efforts, GG could have struggled to finish with a competitive total.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7