Captain Harmanpreet Kaur propelled Mumbai Indians to an imposing 207/5 with a stunning half-century against Gujarat Giants as the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) kicked off in front of a packed house on Saturday. The opener was preceded by a glittering opening ceremony at DY Patil Stadium. Kaur lit up the game with a sweeping 65 hit from just 30 balls (14x4s), which floored the Gujarat Giants and wrote her name in the history books. The right-hander Kaur added a quick 89 runs for the fourth wicket with Amelia Kerr, with the New Zealand batsman making a quick 45 not off just 24 balls with six fours and a six. Mumbai Indians scored 62 runs from the last 30 balls of their innings, recording a total of over 200 in the very first innings of the tournament.
𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆? Harmanpreet Kaur brings the first 5️⃣0️⃣ of #TATAWPL 👏🏼
More of her in action #GGvMI 👉🏼 LIVE on #JioCinema & #Sport18 📺📲#CheerTheW #TATAWPLonJioCinema #TATAWPLonSports18 pic.twitter.com/9Q9RwJ1Okx
— Sport18 (@Sport18) March 4, 2023
Gujarat Giants was guilty of committing several fouls in the field, including bowling many pitches on the leg side, after winning the coin toss and opting to field.
Kaur, who started with consecutive fours to Sneh Rana in the 11th over, got two more fours to Georgia Wareham in the 12th and delivered similar treatment to Annabel Sutherland in the next over.
However, it was in the 15th over when Kaur really showed her class, hammering young left arm sailor Monica Patel four consecutive fours to collect 21 runs from the over, which was the costliest of the innings.
Despite losing an early wicket in the form of Yastika Bhatia (1), Mumbai Indians continued to be aggressive with the bat, with West Indies Hayley Matthews delivering the first fireworks during her 54-run stand for the second wicket with Nat Sciver -Brunt (23 ) to lay a strong platform.
Both Nat Sciver-Brunt and Matthews took every chance to score, which they got in abundance from the Gujarat bowlers who were headstrong with their lines.
As the right-hander Sciver-Brunt fell for an 18-ball 23, including five fours, it was Matthews who led the scoring in the early stages of the game.
Matthews, who started with a six and a four off Mansi Joshi in the second over, took on Annabel Sutherland when she hit a pair of sixes off the Australian bowler’s right arm in the eighth over.
The 54-run second wicket stand was finally broken by Georgia Wareham in the ninth over, who got a hold of Sciver-Brunt halfway through Sneh Rana.
Soon, Matthews’ attack on the first-ever WPL half-century was ended by Gardner, who was brought into the attack after the strategic break by Gujarat captain Beth Mooney to control the run-flow.
After being penalized for a run of four past, Gardner secured the third breakthrough when she turned one sharply into right-hander Matthews. The batter missed contact with the ball, dismantling her stumps.
Right-handed Caribbean batter Matthews fell for a 31-ball 47, studded with four sixes and three fours.
India’s Tanuja Kanwar gave Gujarat Giants their first breakthrough in the third over, with Yastika Bhatia – struggling to get off the blocks – hitting one straight into the hands of Georgia Wareham.
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