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MI Secure First Win in WPL 2025 as Sciver-Brunt and Bowlers Shine
Mumbai Indians Overcome Gujarat Giants with a Dominant Performance
Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched their first victory in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 with a commanding five-wicket win over Gujarat Giants (GG) in Vadodara on February 18. A stellar bowling effort set the foundation for MI’s success before Nat Sciver-Brunt’s impactful half-century ensured a smooth chase. MI reached their target with 3.5 overs to spare, bouncing back strongly in the tournament.
Gujarat Giants Falter After Early PowerPlay Collapse
Giants’ Top-Order Stumbles
Winning the toss and opting to field, MI’s bowlers wasted no time in making an impact. Sciver-Brunt dismissed Gujarat’s star opener, Beth Mooney, on just the second ball of the match, marking Mooney’s second consecutive failure after her half-century on opening night.
Shabnim Ismail then joined the action, forcing Laura Wolvaardt to hole out at sweeper cover. Ashleigh Gardner, who had been in fine form, fell prey to Sciver-Brunt’s off-cutter, compounding Gujarat’s troubles. Meanwhile, Hayley Matthews struck with a well-executed delivery that saw D Hemalatha dismissed cheaply after a reckless slog. At the end of the PowerPlay, Gujarat Giants were struggling at 28/4.
Middle-Order Struggles Continue
Post-PowerPlay, Gujarat’s batting woes persisted. Deandra Dottin, attempting to break free, misjudged Amelia Kerr’s turn and was stumped on seven. Kashvee Gautam provided a brief counterattack, scoring 20 off 15, before nicking a delivery from Matthews to the keeper. Simran Shaikh had a lucky escape initially but was eventually caught at deep midwicket in Matthews’ next over.
Harleen Deol, promoted to No. 5, fought hard with a steady 31 off 31 balls, while Sayali Satghare and Tanuja Kanwer added 13 runs each to push Gujarat Giants to 120 before getting bowled out in 20 overs.
Nat Sciver-Brunt Anchors MI’s Chase
Early Wickets for Gujarat
Mumbai’s chase had a shaky start despite a cautious approach. Kanwer bowled a tight opening over but gave away a couple of boundary opportunities to Matthews. The MI opener capitalized but fell on the very next ball, pulling straight to the fielder at backward square—her third such dismissal in WPL history.
Sciver-Brunt kept the scoreboard ticking with well-timed boundaries, but Gujarat found another breakthrough when Yastika Bhatia mistimed a lofted shot off Priya Mishra, getting caught at long-on.
Sciver-Brunt and Kerr Steady the Chase
Harmanpreet Kaur’s stay at the crease was short-lived, but MI found stability in a crucial 45-run partnership between Sciver-Brunt and Kerr. The latter played cautiously before opening up with a six and a four against Mishra. Sciver-Brunt, in fine form, reached her second consecutive fifty of the season with a couple of boundaries off Gardner.
With MI nearing the target, Gautam struck back, trapping Kerr LBW just as the team reached 100. Sciver-Brunt followed soon after, falling to Mishra, but the leg-spinner’s expensive over allowed MI to wrap up the chase comfortably.
Match Summary and Key Performances
Brief Scores:
Gujarat Giants 120 all out in 20 overs (Harleen Deol 32, Kashvee Gautam 20; Hayley Matthews 3-16, Amelia Kerr 2-22, Nat Sciver-Brunt 2-26)
Mumbai Indians 122/5 in 16.1 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 57; Kashvee Gautam 2-15, Priya Mishra 2-40)
Result: MI won by 5 wickets.
Looking Ahead
This win provides Mumbai Indians a much-needed boost in their WPL 2025 campaign. With Sciver-Brunt in top form and their bowling attack firing, MI will be looking to carry this momentum forward. Meanwhile, Gujarat Giants need to regroup and address their top-order struggles ahead of their next fixture.
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