By Shabnim Ismail’s early burst, combined with Amelia Kerr’s all-round performance, propelled Mumbai Indians to their second consecutive victory in WPL 2024. Ismail, known for her lethal pace, trapped Veda Krishnamurthy and Harleen Deol early on, putting Gujarat Giants on the backfoot. Despite Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield’s efforts, Giants struggled to score freely within the powerplay.
MI’s bowling attack, led by Ismail, S Keerthana, Pooja Vastrakar, and Hayley Matthews, kept the pressure on Giants, restricting them to 126/9 in 20 overs. Kerr’s four-wicket haul, including crucial dismissals in the death overs, was instrumental in curbing Giants’ scoring.
In response, Mumbai Indians lost early wickets but captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Amelia Kerr steadied the innings with a 66-run partnership. Despite a late twist with Kerr and Vastrakar’s dismissals, Harmanpreet’s aggressive batting ensured MI reached the target with ease, winning by 5 wickets.
Brief Scores: Gujarat Giants 126/9 in 20 overs (Tanuja Kanwar 28, Kathryn Bryce 25; Amelia Kerr 4-17, Shabnim Ismail 3-18) lost to Mumbai Indians 129/5 in 18.1 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 46*, Amelia Kerr 31; Tanuja Kanwar 2-21, Lea Tahuhu 1-17) by 5 wickets.
