The Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched their fifth victory of the Women's Premier League (WPL) with a thrilling 9-run win over the Gujarat Giants (GG) on March 10, 2025, at Brabourne Stadium. Under the guidance of captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored 54 runs off 33 balls, MI put up a competitive total, supported by stellar performances from bowlers Amelia Kerr and Hayley Matthews.
Winning the toss, GG captain Ashleigh Gardner opted to bowl first, which seemed to pay off initially when MI lost Amelia Kerr to a run out for just 5 runs, leaving them at 17/1. Former international Hayley Matthews was next to bat but added only 27 runs before departing at the hands of Priya Mishra. It was Harmanpreet Kaur’s solid half-century, along with Nat Sciver-Brunt, which stabilized the innings as they partnered for 59 runs.
Harmanpreet’s aggressive knock featured nine boundaries, and she brought up her fifty off just 31 deliveries. Although Gardner managed to break their partnership by dismissing Sciver-Brunt, who scored 24 runs, MI managed to build their innings thanks to late fireworks from Amanjot Kaur, who scored 27 off 15 balls. Her aggressive batting included three boundaries and one six, propelling MI to 179 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.
Despite setting a challenging target, MI faced discouragement when the Gujarat Giants began their chase poorly. Star bat Beth Mooney fell early for 7 runs, leaving GG at 15/1. They continued to struggle as they lost Kashvee Gautam cheaply and faced another severe blow when captain Ashleigh Gardner herself was sent back to the pavilion for a duck, courtesy of Shabnim Ismail. At 41/3, GG was already facing the prospect of defeat.
Harleen Deol showed some resistance, scoring 24 runs, but the skittish innings saw wickets tumbling at regular intervals. Phoebe Litchfield and Deandra Dottin followed soon after, leaving GG’s chase appearing increasingly bleak. Just as MI thought they had the game under control, Bharti Fulmali turned it around with her explosive 61 runs off just 25 balls, bringing excitement to the contest and reigniting hopes for GG.
At one point, it seemed GG could achieve the improbable, but Amelia Kerr struck at the most pivotal moment, dismissing Fulmali. Even when GG's Simran Shaikh and Tanuja Kanwar gave them hope, MI’s bowlers kept their nerve. Matthews and Kerr, who had both taken 3 wickets each, dismantled GG's lineup at match-defining moments.
Gujarat Giants were bowled out for 170 runs, falling short of MI's total by 9 runs. For her scintillated performance, Harmanpreet Kaur was awarded the Player of the Match award, making significant contributions to lead her team as they head toward the WPL playoffs. With this victory, the Mumbai Indians are solidifying their place near the top of the points table with ambitions set high for the remainder of the season.