WPL 2024/25, GG-W vs MI-W 5th Match Match Report, February 18, 2025

Mumbai Indians scored 122 for 5 (Sciver-Brunt 57, Kerr 19, Gautam 2-15, Mishra 2-40) and defeated Gujarat Giants who managed 120 (Deol 32, Gautam 20, Matthews 3-16, Kerr 2-22) by five wickets

Right from the moment a delighted Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bowl in Mumbai Indians’ second match of WPL 2025 against Gujarat Giants, there was a sense of inevitability. Every team chasing had won their game this season. Coupled with Mumbai’s perfect 4-0 record against the Giants leading into this match, the odds were undeniably stacked in Mumbai’s favor.

The match unfolded as expected.

She concluded with 57 runs off 39 balls as Mumbai successfully chased down the target by five wickets with 23 balls remaining. This victory not only marked Mumbai’s first win in WPL 2025 but also extended their supremacy over the Giants to a flawless 5-0 record. The Giants now stand as the only team in the tournament without a single win against a specific opponent.

Giants struggle in powerplay

At the toss, Harmanpreet emphasized the importance of capitalizing in the early overs before the dew set in. She opted for pace from both ends, a strategy that proved effective when Sciver-Brunt dismissed Beth Mooney, who misplayed a simple catch to Sanskriti Gupta at backward point in the second over.

Shabnim Ismail then clean-bowled Laura Woolvardt, whose lofty drive only found S Sajana stationed perfectly at deep cover. This reduced the Giants to 14 for 2, and shortly after, became 16 for 3 when Matthews caught D Hemalatha, who attempted an ambitious heave, brilliantly running to her left from deep midwicket.

Ashleigh Gardner, a standout for the Giants in the initial matches, began well with a four and a six, but was ultimately undone by a slower delivery from Sciver-Brunt, mistiming it straight to Sajana at deep midwicket.

At 28 for 4 after six overs, the Giants could not have wished for a worse start. This score marked their third-lowest powerplay in WPL history and the lowest for any team this season. Adding to the Giants’ woes was the heavy number of dot balls early on; 26 of the 36 balls in the powerplay went unscored, which tied for the most in WPL history.

Deol’s lone fight

Perhaps the Giants were overly concerned about the dew later or lacked faith in their defense, leading to batters continuing to play aggressively despite losing wickets. Deandra Dottin kicked off with a reverse sweep but fell prey to Kerr’s delivery, resulting in a swift stumping by Yastika Bhatia.

Kashvee Gautam, much like her teammates, began with flair, hitting debutant Parul Sisodia for two boundaries and launching Ismail for a six over long-on, but ultimately fell to Matthews’ catch.

However, as wickets continued to tumble around her, Deol’s exit at 103 for 8 in the 17th over signaled trouble. Nevertheless, Sayali Satghare and Priya Mishra ensured that the Giants utilized their full 20 overs.

For Mumbai, Matthews was exceedingly economical in her four-over spell, conceding only 16 runs. She bowled 16 dot balls, the same as Sciver-Brunt, while Ismail saw 19 of her 24 deliveries go without runs.

Sciver-Brunt’s impeccable fifty in Mumbai’s inaugural win

Leading into the tournament, queries arose regarding Sciver-Brunt’s form after a relatively subdued Ashes series. In just two innings, she has silenced her critics.

A chase of 121 runs was never going to be intimidating. Matthews started strongly, hitting three fours, but fell victim to a loose ball from Tanuja Kanwar, caught by Deol at square leg. If the Giants had any hope of a collapse, Sciver-Brunt quickly extinguished that possibility.

She began with a powerful pull on her very first ball, leading to a dominant performance thereafter. Dottin was driven through point, and Priya Mishra’s deliveries were pulled through square leg twice within three balls. While Bhatia mistimed her shot to long-on and Harmanpreet fell victim to Kashvee, Sciver-Brunt remained a steadfast presence.

The combination of power, precision, and a knack for finding gaps propelled Sciver-Brunt forward. She formed a 45-run partnership with Kerr off 38 balls to inch Mumbai closer. It took her 34 balls to reach her fifty before she fell just seven runs short of the target. G Kamalini, on debut, recorded a boundary with her first ball while Sajana sealed the victory by lofting Dottin over mid-off, granting Mumbai their first win of WPL 2025.

This victory propelled Mumbai to second place in the points table while adversely affecting the Giants’ NRR, keeping them in third place.