WPL 2024: Gujarat Giants stumbles to five-wicket loss against Mumbai Indians in low-scoring encounter

The Giants’ search for balance and a perfect playing XI - the side’s shortcomings from season one - unfortunately endure.

Shabnim Ismail and Amelia Kerr of Mumbai Indians played a key role in helping the side to its second consecutive league win in the WPL. | Photo Credit: Sportzpics for WPL

Mumbai Indians knows a thing or two about chases, having never lost a game when batting second in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Sunday’s WPL clash against Gujarat Giants on Sunday extended that run.

Amelia Kerr’s all-round performance (4/17 and 31, 25b 3x4), along with with Shabnim Ismail’s clinical strikes (three for 18) and Harmanpreet Kaur’s batting (46, 41b, 5x4, 1x6), drove MI to a five-wicket victory over Giants at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the side’s second in a row.

GG vs MI - As it happened

MI’s chase saw a few early jitters, particularly the unfortunate run out of Nat Sciver-Brunt in the eighth over. She fell for 22. After the top-order fell cheaply, Harmanpreet and Kerr added 66 runs for the fourth wicket.

Earlier, a mediocre batting display by the Beth Mooney-led side saw Giants manage just 126 for nine after being asked to bat first.

While she proved to be a bit expensive with the ball, Kathryn Bryce‘s wicket maiden early on and her crucial cameo with the bat helped Gujarat Giants stay afloat in the encounter. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Seasoned batter Veda Krishnamurthy opened alonside Mooney for the Giants but Ismail, proving international retirement had done nothing to diminish her skills, trapped her plumb in front for a duck. She took out Harleen Deol in her second over. Wickets fell at regular intervals for the Giants, with the side struggling at 58 for four at the halfway stage.

Harmanpreet’s spot-on field placement helped MI get another wicket inside the PowerPlay after Phoebe Litchfield was caught at short-third by B. Keerthana, leaving Giants at 43 for three in the first six overs.

Ismail returned to the attack and quickly removed Mooney before passing the baton to Kerr. The Kiwi ended Ashleigh Gardner’s 22-ball struggle and cleaned up Sneh Rana for a duck in the 14th over. She claimed Tanuja Kanwar and Lea Tahuhu’s wickets to finish with a four-wicket haul.

A 48-run association between Kathryn Bryce and Tanuja for the eighth wicket saved the Giants’ blushes, helping them to a modest total. However, their search for balance and a perfect playing XI — the side’s shortcomings in season one — unfortunately continues. 

BRIEF SCORES

Gujarat Giants 126/9 in 20 overs (Kathryn Bryce 25 n.o., Tanuja Kanwar 28; Shabnim Ismail 3/18, Amelia Kerr 4/17) lost to Mumbai Indians 129/5 in 18.1 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 46*, Amelia Kerr 31; Tanuja Kanwar 2/21) by five wickets.