New Delhi [India], January 14 : Former India cricketer Saba Karim heaped praise on Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's masterclass in a pressure chase against Gujarat Giants in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL), saying she's a pleasure to watch due to her adaptability and awareness on the field.
Mumbai Indians clinched a thrilling victory against Gujarat Giants in a high-intensity contest on Tuesday night in WPL 2026. She slammed a brilliant 71 runs off just 43 balls.
"It's always a pleasure to watch Harmanpreet bat like this. The secret to her success, longevity, and consistency is her ability to adapt very quickly. That adaptability comes from two things; her awareness of the match situation and her ability to assess conditions early. She's such a reliable batter because she plays the field so well. It's not easy to set a field for her. She exploits the off side with ease and is equally strong on the leg side. That's why she's such a competent batter, especially in run chases like this. She has that rare ability to coil and uncoil at the right moment. Her massive backlift and the arc of her downswing make it extremely difficult for bowlers to contain her. While the innings wasn't entirely flawless, she did offer a few chances -- a batter of her quality will look to rectify that going forward. Having said that, her batting remains so lucid. She finds gaps with ease, whether against pace or spin. Her ability to read the game and finish matches is exceptional. Her WPL record speaks for itself; over 1,000 runs batting at number four, along with eight or nine fifties, shows the immense value and impact of her innings every time she walks out to bat," Saba Karim said on JioStar.
Kaur etched her name in history as she became only the second batter in WPL history to complete 1,000 runs after Nat Sciver-Brunt. Her record-breaking 10th fifty-plus score and crucial partnerships with batters Amanjot Kaur and Nicola Carey guided the Mumbai Indians to a seven-wicket win over the Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium.
Kaur brought up her 10th fifty-plus score in WPL, most by any batter in the tournament's history, outdoing Mumbai Indians' Nat-Sciver Brunt and UP Warriorz skipper Meg Lanning (nine each). Kaur now has 1,016 runs in 30 matches and 29 innings at an average of 46.18 and a strike rate of 146.18, with 10 fifties under her belt.
Following this victory, the Mumbai Indians have now won all eight games against the Gujarat Giants in the history of the WPL. That remains the only 100% record for a team against an opponent in the competition's history.
This is the Mumbai Indians' second consecutive win in the ongoing WPL 2026 season, after losing to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the tournament opener, propelling them to second place.