By Harmanpreet Kaur’s explosive unbeaten 95 off 48 deliveries steered Mumbai Indians to a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Gujarat Giants at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Her innings, coupled with some crucial partnerships, propelled Mumbai to chase down the target of 191 with just one ball to spare, securing their spot in the WPL 2024’s next round.
Kaur initially struggled to find her rhythm, scoring only 20 off 21 balls, as wickets fell around her. However, she shifted gears dramatically in the final overs, smashing boundaries and sixes at will. Kaur’s onslaught included two sixes and three boundaries in an over, eventually finishing the game with a flurry of boundaries and a six off Ash Gardner.
Earlier, Mumbai’s chase had a rocky start, losing early wickets, but Yastika Bhatia’s 49 steadied the ship. Despite some hiccups, Kaur’s explosive innings and crucial contributions from other batters ensured Mumbai reached the target.
In reply, Gujarat Giants got off to a strong start, thanks to Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalatha’s century stand. However, after Mooney’s dismissal, Giants lost momentum, collapsing from 139/1 to 163/5. Despite a late flourish from Bharti Fulmail, Gujarat could only manage 190/7, a total that proved insufficient to defend against Mumbai’s strong batting lineup.
With this win, Mumbai Indians continued their impressive form in the tournament and secured their spot in the next round, courtesy of Harmanpreet Kaur’s brilliant innings.
Brief Scores: Gujarat Giants 190/7 in 20 overs (D Hemalatha 74, Beth Mooney 66; Saika Ishaque 2-31, S Sajana 1-11) Mumbai Indians 191/3 in 19.5 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 95*, Yastika Bhatia 49; Ash Gardner 1-22) by 7 wickets
