bharti fulmali Mumbai Indians Edge Out Gujarat Giants in Thrilling Nine-Run Win
Mumbai Indians 179/6 (Harmanpreet 54, Sciver-Brunt 38, Mishra 1-23, Gardner 1-27) beat Gujarat Giants 170/9 (Fulmali 61, Kerr 3-34, Matthews 3-38) by nine runs.
Mumbai Indians Edge Out Gujarat Giants in Thrilling Nine-Run Win
Mumbai Indians 179/6 (Harmanpreet 54, Sciver-Brunt 38, Mishra 1-23, Gardner 1-27) beat Gujarat Giants 170/9 (Fulmali 61, Kerr 3-34, Matthews 3-38) by nine runs.
Mumbai Indians (MI) continued their unbeaten run against Gujarat Giants (GG) with a thrilling nine-run victory, taking a significant step towards securing a direct spot in the WPL 2025 final. A sparse but enthusiastic home crowd at Brabourne Stadium witnessed an exciting contest, highlighted by captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s commanding half-century and Bharti Fulmali’s explosive maiden WPL fifty, which almost turned the game in GG’s favor.
Batting first in their first game in Mumbai this season, MI posted 179/6, led by Harmanpreet (54) and supported by Nat Sciver-Brunt (38) and Amanjot Kaur. Despite a valiant effort from Fulmali, who struck a 22-ball fifty, GG fell short, restricted to 170/9. Key contributions from Amelia Kerr (3/34) and Shabnim Ismail (2/19) ensured MI's sixth consecutive win against GG in the WPL.
With this victory, MI moved level on points (10) with Delhi Capitals but trailed slightly on net run rate (0.298 vs. DC’s 0.396). Their final league match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be crucial in determining whether they finish atop the table for a direct ticket to the final or face an eliminator.
Fulmali’s Heroics Almost Spoil MI’s Party
GG’s chase was in deep trouble at 70/5 in the 11th over, with Deandra Dottin surviving a dropped chance. Enter Bharti Fulmali, who wasted no time, taking Sciver-Brunt for three boundaries in an over. Her fearless strokeplay overshadowed even Dottin, leaving MI scrambling for answers.
Kerr eventually dismissed Dottin, but Fulmali continued her assault, smashing consecutive 6, 6, and 4 off Kerr to race to a 22-ball fifty before falling in the same over. With 38 needed off the last 18 balls, Simran Shaikh and Tanuja Kanwar briefly revived GG’s hopes, scoring 15 off Matthews in the penultimate over. However, MI held their nerve to seal a hard-fought win.
Opening Woes Continue for MI
For the second consecutive match, MI promoted Kerr as an opener, but she struggled for fluency and was run-out early. Hayley Matthews and Sciver-Brunt steadied the innings, capitalizing on the short boundaries (58m and 52m). Matthews launched Dottin for a six over deep square leg before repeating the shot against Kanwar, while Sciver-Brunt found gaps with precision. MI reached 44/1 at the end of the powerplay.
Harmanpreet Leads MI’s Late Charge
Priya Mishra dismissed Matthews soon after the powerplay, but Harmanpreet ensured MI’s scoring rate remained brisk. She played innovative shots, including a stunning reverse sweep off Mishra, and found an able partner in Sciver-Brunt. Their 59-run stand off 40 balls set up MI for a strong finish before Gardner broke through.
Amanjot Kaur, batting at No. 5 for only the second time in WPL, provided a late boost, hammering Kashvee Gautam for 4, 4, 6 in the 17th over. Though Gautam dismissed her soon after, Harmanpreet completed her fifty off just 31 balls, guiding MI to 55 runs in the last four overs—ironically, the exact equation GG needed in their chase.
Early Strikes Dent GG’s Chase
Opting to open with Kashvee Gautam in place of the struggling Dayalan Hemalatha, GG suffered an immediate setback as Beth Mooney was dismissed off Matthews’ first ball. Gautam, facing the fiery pace of Ismail, struggled to get going, managing just 9 off 12 balls before being stumped off Sanskriti Gupta.
GG’s hopes took another blow when Ismail removed Gardner for a two-ball duck. Harleen Deol briefly counterattacked with five boundaries, three coming in one Matthews over, but she was trapped lbw by Kerr. At 70/5, GG seemed out of the contest until Fulmali’s fireworks reignited their chase, but ultimately, MI held firm to clinch a crucial victory.
Mumbai Indians extended their dominance over Gujarat Giants with a sixth consecutive victory in the Women's Premier League, clinching a thrilling nine-run win at the Brabourne Stadium. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with a crucial 54, forging a vital 59-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt (38). Amelia Kerr and Hayley Matthews bagged three wickets each, while Shabnim Ismail bowled a miserly spell of 2 for 17. Despite a valiant 25-ball 61 from Bharti Fulmali, Gujarat Giants fell short and are now locked in for the eliminator on March 13.
Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time since their 2023 title win, MI started aggressively with a 12-run over off Deandra Dottin. However, their struggles at the top continued as Kerr was run out for just five while attempting a quick single. Matthews kept the scoreboard ticking, taking advantage of Dottin’s lack of control despite her early swing.
Sciver-Brunt accelerated MI’s innings, capitalizing on loose deliveries from Tanuja Kanwer for two fours and a six. But Gujarat hit back after the strategic timeout, with Priya Mishra dismissing Matthews. The momentum swung in MI’s favor again as Mishra struggled with control, conceding three boundaries in an over. Harmanpreet then took charge, dispatching Meghna Singh for two fours, pushing MI from 50 after eight overs to 100 for 1 by the 13th.
Ashleigh Gardner returned for a second spell and struck a key blow, dismissing Sciver-Brunt. Amanjot Kaur, promoted to No. 6, made an immediate impact with a flurry of boundaries before Gardner removed her. Harmanpreet and Sajana Sajeevan added crucial late runs before the MI skipper brought up her fifty in the 19th over. Despite her dismissal at the start of the 20th, Yastika Bhatia’s quick blows helped MI finish strongly at 179 for 6.
Giants’ Chase Falls Short Despite Fulmali’s Heroics
Needing to chase the target in 18 overs to claim the top spot, Gujarat sent Veda Krishnamurthy to open. However, their innings mirrored MI’s early struggles, with Beth Mooney chipping Matthews straight to cover. Harleen Deol, coming off a match-winning 70*, signaled her intent with three consecutive boundaries off Matthews.
Despite Gautam hitting two boundaries, her sluggish 10 off 14 balls ended with a stumping off Sanskriti Gupta. Ismail then returned after the PowerPlay to remove Gardner for a duck, deepening Gujarat’s woes. Litchfield counterattacked with three boundaries off Gupta, but Kerr’s deceptive googly trapped Deol LBW, shifting momentum back to MI. Litchfield perished attempting a scoop against Ismail, while Kerr cleaned up the dangerous Dottin.
Fulmali kept Gujarat in the hunt, smashing Sciver-Brunt for 14 runs in an over and launching Kerr for a six down the ground. With 80 needed off the last six overs, she continued to attack, expertly handling the short ball and finding boundaries against Parunika Sisodia. Her stunning 22-ball fifty, powered by two sixes off Kerr, gave Gujarat a real shot at victory.
Even after Fulmali’s dismissal, Simran Shaikh and Kanwer kept the fight alive with crucial blows. Sciver-Brunt conceded 10 in the penultimate over, leaving Gujarat with hope, but Matthews held her nerve to seal the win for MI.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indians 179/6 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 54, Nat Sciver-Brunt 38; Priya Mishra 1-23, Ashleigh Gardner 1-27)
Gujarat Giants 170 in 20 overs (Bharti Fulmali 61, Harleen Deol 24; Amelia Kerr 3-34, Hayley Matthews 3-38)
Result: Mumbai Indians won by 9 runs.
 beat Gujarat Giants 170/9 (Fulmali 61, Kerr 3-34, Matthews 3-38) by nine runs.){kind=link}
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