The Mumbai skipper scored the primary half-century of the brand new league as her 30-ball 65 blitzkrieg powered her group to an enormous 207 for five after being despatched in to bat first through her counterpart, Gujarat captain Beth Mooney.
Because it came about: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians
Mumbai bowlers then ended Gujarat’s innings within the sixteenth over, bowling them out for simply 64 in 15.1 overs to check in an enormous victory. Saika Ishaque (4 for 11) was once the wrecker-in-chief for the Mumbai aspect, with Nat Sciver-Brunt (2/5) and Amelia Kerr (2/12) taking two wickets each and every.
Harmanpreet smashed 14 fours and scored her runs at an outstanding strike charge of 216.67. Hayley Matthews (47) and Amelia Kerr (45 no longer out) additionally contributed handsomely for the Mumbai franchise.
The @ImHarmanpreet-led @mipaltan are off the mark within the #TATAWPL in taste! #MI win the hole sport in opposition to #GG… https://t.co/eCtwHjUymW
— Ladies’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) 1677951962000
Gujarat’s run chase began on a worst imaginable word as Mooney retired harm within the first over itself. Two balls later, No.3 batter Harleen Deol was once disregarded for naught through Nat Sciver-Brunt. So, Gujarat just about misplaced two wickets within the first over in their chase.
Gujarat had been quickly diminished to five for three in 2.3 overs after shedding two extra wickets within the subsequent two overs, and it changed into 23/7 within 8 overs beautiful quickly.
Dayalan Hemalatha (29 no longer out) not on time the inevitable through including 26 runs for the 8th wicket with Mansi Joshi (6) and 15 runs for the 9th wicket with Monica Patel (10). However they had been already down and out through then.
For her improbable captain’s knock of 65(30), skipper @ImHarmanpreet bagged the Participant of the Fit award 👏👏 #GGvMI… https://t.co/Gd8ybJpjef
— Ladies’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) 1677952903000
India and Mumbai captain Kaur added 89 runs from simply 42 balls with New Zealand’s Kerr (45* from 24 balls, 6x4s, 1×6) after Matthews equipped the preliminary fireworks.
Kaur’s innings was once directly out of textbook for all of the home gamers gazing in her group, pageant and past. She discovered gaps at will, attached the ball completely, and didn’t give a unmarried likelihood to the opposition bowlers to capitalise.
However earlier than Kaur’s onslaught, it was once the competitive West Indies batter Matthews who regarded set to attain the primary fifty of the match however sadly fell simply 3 runs brief.
Matthews smoked 4 sixes and three fours to make 47 from 31 balls and added 54 runs for the second one wicket with Nat Sciver-Brunt, an affiliation that laid the platform for a powerful first-innings general for the profitable aspect.
England celebrity Sciver-Brunt was once in her parts on Saturday night time as after smoking 5 fours for her 18-ball 23, she returned a gap spell of 2-0-5-2 that helped derail the Gujarat Giants off the monitor.
It was once surely a forgettable first day out for Gujarat Giants who didn’t have a lot to cheer about. After their bowlers had been hammered everywhere the park for a grand general of 31 fours and six sixes through the Mumbai Indians, the wheels got here off utterly for them..
With the pounding gained within the first 1/2 of the sport, the issues changed into worse for the Gujarat Giants once their chase started.
Within the first over, Gujarat Giants’ captain and arguably the most productive batter within the aspect, Mooney retired harm after going through most effective her 3rd ball. She is thought to have injured her left knee after making a couple of paces for a run however deciding in opposition to it.
At the ultimate supply, Nat Sciver-Brunt drew the primary blood getting Harleen Deol stuck at deep 3rd guy for a two-ball duck.
The England participant returned within the 3rd over to harm Gujarat Giants additional, this time cleansing up opening batter Sabbhineni Meghana for a 4-ball 2.
However earlier than they misplaced Meghana, Gujarat Giants had suffered an enormous blow within the type of Ashleigh Gardner, with Hayley Matthews taking a pointy catch on the first slip off the right-arm pacer Issy Wong to stroll again for a golden duck.
Saika Ishaque got rid of Annabel Sutherland (6) within the 5th over, and returned within the 7th over of the innings to scrub up Georgia Wareham (8), profiting from the drive created through the spectacular right-arm seamer Wong from the opposite finish, who gave no room for scoring in her first spell (3-0-7-1).
The left-arm orthodox spinner Saika returned with 3.1-1-11-4.
The pair of Dayalan Hemlatha (29 no longer out) and Mansi Joshi (6) did their perfect to prolong the inevitable, however Mumbai Indians finished the win with 29 balls to spare.
Previous within the sport, Gujarat Giants’ skipper Mooney made up our minds to soak up wicketkeeping tasks — one thing which she hasn’t accomplished ceaselessly in her occupation — and invited Mumbai Indians to bat after profitable the toss.
Mooney’s aspect made various mistakes within the box, with the bowlers straying down the leg aspect extra continuously than no longer within the first 1/2 and fielding poorly, which in some way highlighted the loss of time and alternative that the WPL groups have were given within the lead-up to the match.
However earlier than all of that, WPL started with the acquainted razzmatazz of a glittering opening rite that includes Bollywood actresses Kiara Advani and Kirti Sanon, who carried out along singer AP Dhillon and the night time sky was once lit up through impressive fireworks.
(With Inputs from PTI)
