Another night, another last-over finish and this time it was the Gujarat Giants who held their composure to edge Mumbai Indians in a gripping Women’s Premier League clash in Vadodara. The victory takes the Giants to 10 points and officially seals their berth in the Eliminator, a major step forward in their campaign.
After choosing to bat, GG posted 167/4, a total that felt competitive on a surface that continued to reward slow bowlers. Their innings was built on recovery, composure in the middle overs and a late surge when it mattered.
Early blow, steady rebuild
Beth Mooney’s difficult run against Shabnim Ismail continued, with the fast bowler once again getting the better of the Australian early. With their premier batter back in the dugout, GG needed stability, and Sophie Devine along with Anushka Sharma provided just that.
GG raced to 48/1 in the power play but then hit a quieter phase, managing only 58 runs between overs 7 and 15. Just as the platform seemed set for acceleration, both set batters fell in quick succession, threatening to stall the innings.
Gardner and Wareham flip the script
Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham then combined for a momentum-shifting 71-run partnership, the second-highest stand for GG against MI in WPL history.
Gardner was especially severe on spin, collecting 31 runs off just 14 balls on the leg side, while Wareham played a smart, measured knock before shifting gears. Gardner fell agonisingly short of a fifty, stumped off Amelia Kerr while trying to accelerate, but Wareham’s fluent 44 ensured GG finished strongly, plundering 61 runs in the final five overs.
Mumbai stumble, then counterpunch
MI’s chase never found early rhythm. Regular strikes reduced them to 37/3 inside seven overs, and GG briefly looked in complete control. But Harmanpreet Kaur had other ideas.
Teaming up with Kerr, she rebuilt with calm authority before launching a calculated assault. The pair absorbed pressure and then transferred it back onto GG with clean hitting and smart running. Wareham’s dismissal of Kerr in the 12th over proved a turning point, halting MI’s surge just as the equation began to tilt.
Harmanpreet goes down swinging
Harmanpreet, though, continued to fight. She brought up yet another half-century against GG, a match-up she has consistently thrived in, and kept MI in the hunt deep into the death overs.
Much like previous games this season, GG held their nerve at the finish. Accurate execution, clever changes of pace and calm decision-making under pressure ensured MI fell just short despite a late flurry.
GG through, MI still in the mix
In the end, the match turned on key partnerships, Gardner and Wareham rescuing GG, and Harmanpreet and Kerr reviving MI’s chase. The difference lay in GG’s finishing burst with the bat and their improved composure at the death with the ball.
GG walked off to an applause from the crowd knowing this win has locked in their Eliminator berth. MI, meanwhile, are not out of contention yet, their playoff fate now hinges on the outcome of the DC vs UPW clash, which will decide the final standings in what has been a fiercely competitive WPL season.
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