The 19th match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 saw a thrilling encounter between Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians and Ashley Gardner’s Gujarat Giants. In the end, Mumbai emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 9 runs, marking their sixth consecutive win against Gujarat in the league. This streak is a testament to Mumbai’s dominance over their opponents, as they remain unbeaten against the Gujarat Giants in the tournament so far.
Mumbai’s innings got off to a rocky start, with opener Amelia Kerr falling victim to a run-out in the third over, scoring just 5 runs off 9 balls. However, the duo of Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt steadied the ship, navigating the powerplay without any further losses. Matthews contributed 27 runs before her dismissal, while Sciver-Brunt played a crucial knock of 38 runs off 31 balls, including six boundaries. The partnership between Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur yielded over 50 runs for the third wicket, providing a much-needed boost to Mumbai’s innings. Harmanpreet, in particular, impressed with a 53-run innings off 33 balls, hitting nine boundaries. Late cameos from Yastika Bhatia (13) and Saika Ishaque (11*) helped Mumbai post a competitive total of 179/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Gujarat’s bowling effort was evenly distributed, with Tanuja Kanwar, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, and Ashley Gardner claiming a wicket apiece.
In response, Gujarat’s batting struggled to gain momentum, losing their first wicket at a score of 15 in the fourth over when Beth Mooney was dismissed for 7 runs. The middle order, comprising Kashvee Gautam and Harleen Deol, attempted to revive the innings but failed to make a significant impact. Kashvee scored 10 runs off 14 balls, while Harleen managed 24 runs off 17 deliveries. At one stage, Gujarat found themselves reeling at 92/6, raising concerns about their ability to see out the full 20 overs. However, Bharti Fulmali’s explosive knock of 61 runs off 25 balls, including 8 fours and 4 sixes, turned the match on its head and reignited Gujarat’s hopes of a comeback. Unfortunately for Gujarat, Bharti lacked support from the other end, and the team ultimately fell short, finishing at 170/9 in their 20 overs. Mumbai’s bowling attack was led by Amelia Kerr, who took 3 wickets, while Shabnim Ismail and Hayley Matthews chipped in with 2 wickets each.
The win for Mumbai Indians has significant implications for the league standings, as they continue to assert their dominance over the Gujarat Giants. As the tournament progresses, it will be interesting to see how Gujarat responds to this setback and whether they can turn their fortunes around against their formidable opponents.
