WPL 2023: Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Giants; Become 1st team to qualify for playoffs

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Giants by 55 runs to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) played at the Brabourne Stadium.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s fifty followed by Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews’ three-wicket hauls helped Mumbai Indians to defeat Gujarat Giants.

Chasing 163, Gujarat Giants could manage to score 107/9 in 20 overs. It is the 5th consecutive victory for Mumbai Indians in the WPL. Defending a total of 163 runs, Mumbai Indians got off to a fiery start as Nat Sciver-Brunt provided her team with a wicket of Sophia Dunkley for a duck in the first over of the innings. Gujarat kept losing wickets at regular intervals as Mumbai’s superb bowling attack dismantled them.

Earlier, top knocks by Yastika Bhatia and Harmanpreet Kaur propelled Mumbai Indians to 162/8 against Gujarat Giants.

Harmanpreet was the highest run scorer for Mumbai Indians with 51 off 30 balls while Bhatia slammed crucial 44 runs in 37 deliveries. For Gujarat Giants, Ashleigh Gardner scalped three while Kim Garth, Sneh Rana and Tanuja Kanwar bagged one wicket each.

Brief score: Mumbai Indians 162/8 (Harmanpreet Kaur 51, Yastika Bhatia 44; Ashleigh Gardner 3-34) vs Gujarat Giants 107/9 (Harleen Deol 22, Sneh Rana 20; Nat Sciver-Brunt 3-21).