WPL 2024: Kiran Navgire hits half-century, UP Warriorz beats Mumbai Indians by seven wickets

The 29-year-old spared none as her superlative shot selection both off front foot and back foot helped her race to a half-century off 25 deliveries.

Kiran Navgire smashed a brilliant half-century and helped UP Warriorz beat the Mumbai Indians. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu

Just when defending champion Mumbai Indians seemed invincible again, UP Warriorz put the brakes on its campaign, riding on an authoritative fifty from Kiran Navgire (57, 31b, 6x4, 4x6) for a seven-wicket win in the Women’s Premier League 2024 in Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Kiran opened with Alyssa Healy, replacing Vrinda Dinesh, who was injured while fielding, at the top of the order.

The 29-year-old spared none as her superlative shot selection, both off the front foot and back foot, helped her race to a half-century off 25 deliveries.

She fell to Amelia Kerr, but her 56-ball 94 opening stand with Healy already took the game away from MI.

MI-W vs UP-W Highlights WPL 2024: UP Warriorz beats MI by 7 wickets

After conceding 17 off her first over to Kiran, Issy Wong came back to remove Tahlia McGrath and the well-set Healy on 32. It wasn’t enough, as what Kiran started was finished by Grace Harris and Deepti Sharma, who took Warriorz home with 21 balls to spare.

Earlier, Hayley Matthews’ fifty (55, 47b, 9x4, 1x6) and late cameos from Kerr and Pooja Vastrakar took MI to 161 for six after being put in to bat.

Anjali Sarvani, Harris and Sophie Ecclestone helped Warriorz keep the MI openers on a leash. All three bowled a tidy line length, conceding just eight in the first three overs.

Matthews hit a four off Harris over extra-cover to get MI’s first boundary, after 19 deliveries.

Yastika Bhatia broke loose and struck Anjali for three fours and a six, collecting 18 off the fifth over. Matthews followed suit, dealing in boundaries off Deepti and Rajeshwari Gayakwad as MI reached 50 inside eight overs.

In the same over, Harris provided Warriorz their first breakthrough, dismissing Yastika on 26 just as the partnership began to look threatening.

Nat Sciver-Brunt, the stand-in captain for MI in the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur, who, like Shabnim Ismail, was out with a niggle, joined Matthews.

Sciver-Brunt’s stay in the middle was brief, as she sacrificed her wicket during a run out to save Matthews in the 13th over.

Matthews brought up her fifty off 44 deliveries before sweeping Deepti for a four, taking MI past 100 in 14 overs. She holed out to Harris off Rajeshwari.

Pooja and Kerr added 29 off 19 balls for the fourth wicket before Wong and S. Sajana took MI past 160, but no total was enough against Kiran’s storm.