Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 14 : A record-breaking 10th fifty-plus score by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and her partnerships with Amanjot Kaur and Nicola Carey powered Mumbai Indians (MI) to a seven-wicket win over Gujarat Giants (GG) at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday.
This marks MI's second successive win in the season after losing to RCB in the tournament opener, powering them to second spot.
Harmanpreet brought up her 10th fifty-plus score in Women's Premier League (WPL) history, outdoing MI's Nat-Sciver Brunt and UP Warriorz skipper Meg Lanning (nine each). She also became the second player, after Nat Sciver, to complete 1,000 WPL runs, with 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.
This is the second-highest chase in WPL history after RCB's 202-run chase against GG last season.
During the run-chase of 193 runs, openers G Kamalini and Hayley Matthews had a decent start, with Kamalini getting a couple of fours. But Renuka Singh stumped her out for 12-ball 13, with MI at 20/1 in 2.5 overs.
Undeterred, Hayley continued to attack, launching Rajeshwari Gayakwad for two back-to-back fours just after Kamalini's dismissal and hammering Kashvee Gautam for a six with a brilliant flick over deep backward square leg. However, Kashvee got the last laugh over Matthews, with a well-judged catch from Sophie Devine ending her stay at 12-ball 22, with three fours and a six. MI was 37/2 in 4.4 overs.
The Indian pair of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot Kaur joined forces, with Amanjot hitting two successive fours against Sophie, one a late cut and the other a flick. The 50-run mark was up for MI in 6.2 overs.
Georgia Wareham's ninth over cost GG 14 runs, as Amanjot-Harmanpreet launched her for three fours, including delightful pull and sweep from Amanjot, who was putting on a show.
Tanuja Kanwer became a victim of Amanjot's onslaught with two successive fours as MI ended 10 overs at 88/2, with Amanjot (34*) and Harmanpreet (18*) unbeaten. The 50-run partnership was up in 30 balls.
Runs continued to flow like a torrent as Amanjot and Harman collected boundaries against Renuka Singh and Ash Gardner, bringing up MI's 100-run mark in 11.2 overs.
The 72-run stand ended with Devine getting the crucial wicket of Amanjot for 40 in 26 balls, with seven fours, courtesy a fine catch from Gardner. MI was 109/3 in 12.1 overs.
In the 14th over, Tanuja was cracked for a hat-trick of boundaries by Harmanpreet. At the end of 15 overs, MI was 134/3, with Harmanpreet (47*) and Nicola Carey (11*) unbeaten.
Renuka's 15th over was as brutal as Nicola hammered her for five fours, bringing up the 150-run mark in 15.5 overs.
Harman reached her second successive fifty of the tournament in 33 balls, with four boundaries and two fours. In Rajeshwari's 18th over, Harman continued her masterclass with a trio of fours. The MI skipper finished off with a four against Sophie, ending the chase at 193/3 in 19.2 overs, with Harmanpreet (71* in 43 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Nichola (38* in 20 balls, with six fours) unbeaten.
Earlier, an unbeaten 52-run partnership between Georgia Wareham and Bharti Fulmali helped the Gujarat Giants to post a challenging target of 193 runs, ending their innings at 192/5 in 20 overs.
After being asked to bat first, the Gujarat Giants were off to a brilliant start after openers Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney hammered four boundaries in the second over against Hayley Matthews.
However, speedster Shabnim Ismail dismissed Devine for eight runs off four deliveries, including two fours, as Gujarat reached 26/1 in three overs. In the very next over, Kanika Ahuja hammered a six and a four that helped Gujarat to reach 40/1.
After the end of the first power play, Gujarat made 62/1. It was also their third-best powerplay score in WPL history after 80/0 against Delhi Capitals this season and 64/1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2023 edition.
During the third ball of the seventh over, spinner Amelia Kerr removed Beth Mooney for 33 runs off 26 balls, including three fours and one six. GG was 64/3 in 6.2 overs.
Nicola Carey then removed dangerous Ashleigh Gardner during the 10th over. The Gujarat captain made 20 off 11 deliveries, including four boundaries. Giants scored 99/3 in 10 overs.
Hayley Matthews, who was expensive in her first two overs, dismissed Kanika Ahuja for 35 runs off 18 deliveries, including four boundaries and two sixes, as Gujarat slumped to 101/4 in 11 overs.
Georgia Wareham and Ayushi Soni stabilised Gujarat's innings after quick wickets. The Gardner-led Gujarat scored 130/4 in 15 overs. However, after the conclusion of the 16th over, Soni, who was struggling to score runs, was retired out. She made 11 off 14 balls.
In the last four overs, an onslaught from Bharti Fulmali (36* off 15 balls, including three fours and as many sixes) and Wareham (43* off 33 balls, including four boundaries and a six) stitched an unbeaten 56-run stand as they helped Gujarat post a challenging score of 192/5 in 20 overs.
With the ball, Ismail (1/25), Matthews (1/34), Nicola Carey (1/36), and Kerr (1/40) were among the wicket takers for the Mumbai Indians.
Brief scores: Gujarat Giants 192/5 in 20 overs (Georgia Wareham 43*, Bharti Fulmali 36*; Shabnim Ismail 1/25) vs Mumbai Indians: 193/3 (Harmanpreet Kaur 71*, Amanjot Kaur 40, Kashvee Gautam 1/33). .