Harmanpreet Kaur’s Stunning Performance Leads Mumbai Indians to a 7 Wickets Victory
In a thrilling match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants, Harmanpreet Kaur showcased her prowess with a breathtaking innings of 95 not out off just 48 balls.
This remarkable performance by Kaur powered Mumbai Indians to chase down a daunting target of 191 runs, securing a playoff spot in the process.
Gujarat Giants were defeated by seven wickets, 190 for 7 (Hemalatha 74, Mooney 66, Ishaque 2-31), by Mumbai Indians (Harmanpreet 95*, Bhatia 49).
With Harmanpreet Kaur batting in the middle, the Mumbai Indians needed to score 91 runs in 36 balls. After six overs, neither team had scored more than 83, meaning they were out of the game.
After hitting fast bowlers Meghna Singh and Shabnam MD, she took 24 off an over by Sneh Rana as Mumbai chased down the Gujarat Giants’ 190 for 7 and secured a position in the playoffs for the second year in a row. With the push of a button, Harmanpreet instantly shifted gears, going from 20 off 21 to an undefeated 95 off just 48 balls, helping Mumbai achieve the WPL’s highest successful run-chase.
This came after Beth Mooney and D Hemalatha combined for 121 runs, which the latter felt was “20 to 30 short” at the midway point for the Giants.
Final Six Overs Drama
The Mumbai bowlers were finding it difficult to locate their lines and lengths as the Giants were poised to surpass the 200-run threshold thanks to the solid foundation provided by Mooney and Hemalatha. Hemalatha set and Phoebe Litchfield joined her, and they were put at 150 for 2. Mumbai was able to make a comeback while Hemalatha was delivering hits. From that point on, they routinely took wickets and allowed up just three overs of 10 or more. What was the outcome? Giants could only muster 40 for 5 in the final six games.
On the other hand, the Giants’ bowlers, who had a solid grip on the chase, were dismissed by Harmanpreet’s blitzkrieg. In the last six overs, they were only able to hold Mumbai to less than ten runs per over twice. Mumbai crushed the Giants’ aspirations by scoring 91 runs in just 35 balls.
The fight between Harmanpreet and Rana was amazing. The off-spinner kept her India captain from swinging through or releasing her arms for an extended period of time. However, Harmanpreet attempted to go the airborne route and lofted one straight to long-on, where Litchfield lost a sitter and gave away four, with 70 needed off only 26. By the time Rana arrived for her final over, Harmanpreet’s confidence was over the roof, with 47 needed off 18. With an over in which she hammered two sixes and three fours to virtually seal the deal, Giants and Rana suffered the pay.
Class of Bhatia
True, and quite properly so, Harmanpreet raised the most ruckus during the pursuit. She has a reputation for acting aggressively, and that’s when she usually comes alive. However, it was Yastika Bhatia’s one innings that kept Mumbai in the chase.
Bhatia took advantage of the short boundary, hitting Kathryn Bryce for a four and a six in the second over, while her opening partner Hayley Matthews was having difficulty getting off to a good start.Â
Mumbai managed to piece together just their second 50-run opening stand of the season when Matthews momentarily discovered her touch. But immediately following the powerplay, Tanuja Kanwar caught her at long range.
Mumbai’s chase was over for all money when teenage Shabnam, who played a part in India’s victory in the first-ever Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup last year, dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt cheaply in the eighth over.
However, Bhatia continued to identify the holes and advance the scores. Rana was varying her flight and lines, so she used her feet against her. In her next, she hammered one through covers and lofted herself straight over the head of the non-striker. However, she gave Ashleigh Gardner a top edge on 49, leaving the game suspenseful.
Mooney Powered Gujarat to a Strong Total
Mooney had lamented the paucity of runs coming off her bat after four defeats in the Bengaluru leg. And she answered, losing Laura Wolvaardt early on, with consecutive fifty-score runs. To get off the mark, she glided between the short third and the backward point at the tempo Matthews offered her. Shabnim Ismail made room to cut one over covers before punching one straight back in the powerplay, which only served to accelerate her goal. She never allowed the scoring rate to drop because she took advantage of the short square limits on one side, which were 63 and 46 meters.
Mooney irritates opponents with a number of attributes, including his ability to find boundaries at will, his rotating strike that prevents bowlers from settling, and his tendency to make things worse for the captain. When she took Pooja Vastrakar for two sixes over fine leg in the span of four balls, the danger level reached its zenith.
Both deliveries, one in line of the stumps and the other angling away, were dug on a length by the Mumbai fast bowler, but they ended in the same way. She and Wolvaardt had shared an opening partnership of 140 runs in the previous game; with Hemalatha, they scored 121 runs for the second wicket. She appeared to be very unstoppable up until her dismissal, when she chopped on part-time offspinner S Sajana onto the stumps.
Hemalatha Chipped In
Hemalatha was moved up to No. 3 after Matthews hit in the third over, and she immediately set to work. On her fifth ball, she played a lofted cover drive off Saika Ishaque. In Amelia Kerr’s first over, she went all out. She danced down to knock her right over after greeting the legspinner with a drive over covers. Hemalatha went deep in Kerr’s crease and cut her through point as Kerr went a decent length.
On that night, Hemalatha was just as skilled against pace. She had no qualms about taking up the pull against Ismail and giving Vastrakar the lead. In addition, she used the ramp to get over Ismail’s bumpers as she quickly reached her maiden WPL 2024 half-century at 28 balls. Even after Mooney was fired, she persisted in her attack until she misjudged a loft straight to cover.
Mumbai secured a clean finish in the end, taking three wickets and conceding only 30 runs in the final four overs to contain the Giants. It turned out to be a successful attempt after all.
