Head coach Michael Klinger praised Gujarat Giants (GG) after their historic win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on January 30. The 11-run win in Vadodara helped them qualify for the WPL 2026 playoffs. It was even more special as it was GG’s first win over MI after losing all eight previous matches against them.
After the match, Klinger spoke about the importance of the moment. “I’ve been involved in a few of them in years two and three, and this one as well, but to win one where it really counts to qualify for the finals is pretty special,” he said.
He also praised the opposition, saying, “They’re a quality team, a quality organisation, but for GG to get over the line tonight means a lot to us, our management and our owners as well.”
GG surprised everyone by choosing to bat first after winning the toss. They were the first team to bat first after winning the toss in this year’s WPL. Explaining the decision, Klinger said, “No, I think it was a couple of things. One, we’ve been playing pretty well batting first. It was the fourth time the wicket has been used, so we felt that if we could post a pretty solid total and bowl and field somewhere near our best, we could defend it.”
Klinger was pleased with the final score, saying, “I thought getting pretty close to 170 was maybe slightly above par, so I thought our batting group did a great job and everyone contributed to get us to that total.”
The former Australian cricketer also praised Sophie Devine after the veteran all-rounder scored 25 runs and picked up two crucial wickets. “She’s worth every cent that we bought her for and she’s been fantastic. Hopefully, she can continue it for one or two more games,” he said.
Gujarat Giants will play the eliminator against the third-placed team at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Vadodara on February 2.
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