Mumbai Indians Women eye fifth straight win in WPL 2023 against Gujarat Giants.
The Mumbai Indians have established themselves as the team to beat in the inaugural Women’s Premier League, winning all four of their matches so far, including a dominant performance against the UP Warriorz. With a well-rounded squad, the Mumbai-based franchise exudes confidence and a sense of inevitability every time they take the field.
Their next opponents are the Gujarat Giants, whom they had already defeated convincingly in the opening match of the tournament earlier this month. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the Mumbai Indians will look to extend their unbeaten streak when they face off against the Gujarat-based outfit at the Brabourne Stadium.
Yastika Bhatia, the promising young Indian opener for Mumbai Indians, had been relatively quiet in the past few games, but she bounced back in style against the UP Warriorz. Bhatia played an outstanding inning, scoring 42 runs off just 27 deliveries to give her team a blazing start during the powerplay overs. Her 58-run opening partnership with Hayley Matthews was the cornerstone of Mumbai Indians’ fourth consecutive victory in the tournament.
During Mumbai Indian’s recent match against UP Warriorz, Yastika Bhatia played an outstanding inning, scoring 42 runs off just 27 deliveries and providing a solid start for her team during the powerplay. On the other hand, her opening partner, Hayley Matthews, could not contribute much with the bat and was more of a passive observer. However, Matthews made up for it with her economical bowling and took the wicket of Sophie Ecclestone.
The Mumbai Indians have a strong middle order in Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Sciver-Brunt has been in excellent form with the bat, having scored two half-centuries in the tournament so far. She provides stability and experience to the middle order and can accelerate the scoring rate when required.
Kaur, on the other hand, is the backbone of the Mumbai Indians batting line-up. She has been in sensational form with the bat, having scored 151 runs in four matches at an average of 75.50. Her leadership skills are also valuable to the team, making her a crucial player for the Mumbai-based franchise.
Nat Sciver-Brunt has been a key player for the Mumbai Indians since the beginning of the tournament, and she once again played a vital role in their victory against the UP Warriorz. She bowled an economical three-over spell and then partnered with the skipper to guide the team to victory.
Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur, the Mumbai Indians’ captain, seems to be batting with a point to prove. Despite a stroke of luck early in her innings, she put up a fierce resistance against the opposition bowlers. The team was in trouble after losing two quick wickets, but Kaur’s quickfire 53 off 33, along with her partnership with Nat Sciver, helped them seal another comfortable win.
Amelia Kerr had a relatively quiet outing with the bat against the UP Warriorz, but she was on fire with the ball. The New Zealand all-rounder was impressive with her leg spin and picked up three wickets in her four overs, which included a double-wicket maiden in the 12th over of the innings. She also accounted for the wicket of the dangerous Richa Ghosh, who had scored a half-century in the previous match.
Amanjot Kaur is yet to get going with the bat in the tournament, but she has been economical with the ball in the limited opportunities she has got. The left-arm spinner conceded just 16 runs in her three overs against the UP Warriorz and was unlucky to not pick up a wicket.
Dhara Gujjar, on the other hand, did not get an opportunity to bowl in the previous match but she has been impressed with the ball in the tournament so far. She has picked up four wickets in three matches and has been difficult to get away in the middle overs.
Amelia Kerr didn’t have an opportunity to bat in the game as Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt chased down the target with ease. However, the talented all-rounder made valuable contributions with the ball, taking the wickets of dangerous batters Kiran Navgire and Deepti Sharma.
Meanwhile, Amanjot Kaur, the young Indian all-rounder, has yet to get a chance with either bat or ball in four consecutive games. However, she made a significant contribution on the field, displaying her electric fielding skills and keeping the batters on their toes while guarding the boundary ropes.
Issy Wong was the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai Indians against the UP Warriorz, grabbing three wickets in her three-over spell. The English pacer’s wickets included the dangerous duo of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, denting the opposition’s top-order early on.
Humaira Kazi bowled a decent spell, picking up the crucial wicket of Nuzhat Parween in the middle overs. The off-spinner also kept things tight, conceding just 16 runs in her three overs.
Saika Ishaque and Jintimani Kalita also had a decent outing, conceding 27 and 20 runs respectively in their three-over spells. While they didn’t manage to pick up any wickets, their disciplined bowling ensured that the opposition batters never got going in the death overs.
Issy Wong is proving to be an important asset to the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack. The 20-year-old pacer from Middlesex was unlucky not to pick up a wicket against the UP Warriorz, as she constantly troubled the opposition skipper Alyssa Healy with her line and length.
Saika Ishaque has been a revelation in the inaugural edition of the WPL. The left-arm spinner took her side’s first wicket in the match but was hit for runs in the powerplay. However, she showed great resilience by bouncing back and taking the crucial wickets of Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath in her last over, changing the momentum of the match.
Jintimani Kalita had a forgettable outing in the match against the UP Warriorz as she was hit for 13 runs in her solitary over. Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur chose not to risk the inexperienced bowler as Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath were batting aggressively in the middle overs.
The Mumbai Indians Women’s team for the upcoming match includes Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia as wicket-keeper, Harmanpreet Kaur as captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Dhara Gujjar, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong, Jintimani Kalita, and Saika Ishaque.
