WPL 2023: Mumbai Indians Register A Massive Win Over Gujarat Giants In The Women’s Premier League 2023 Opener. The inaugural edition of the much-anticipated Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 kicked off today with an opening clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Giants (GG). There was a grand ceremony before the match consisting of spectacular musical performances from Bollywood stars. However, the opening ceremony and match were both delayed and the match started at 8 PM IST.
Mumbai Indians won the opening match of WPL 2023 by 143 runs.
Mumbai Indians put up a huge total on board
Gujarat Giants won the toss and opted to bowl first in the tournament opener. Matthews smacked the first six of the tournament, and also she stitched a vital partnership with one-down batter Nat Sciver-Brunt. Gujarat’s leg-spinner Georgia Wareham broke the partnership with the wicket of Brunt. The English all-rounder could make 23 runs off 18 deliveries.
Matthews also got out after making a breezy 47 off 31 balls. She smoked three boundaries and four sixes in his sparkling knock. Next batters Harmanpreet Kaur and Amelia Kerr milked runs quickly. Mumbai’s skipper Kaur first smashed back-to-back boundaries off spinner Sneh Rana. She continued to bat aggressively.
MI openers Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia started cautiously in the powerplay; however, Bhatia departs early while looking for runs. Indian spinner Tanuja Kanwar bagged his first wicket of the WPL 2023 by sending Bhatia back to the dugout.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hit the first half-century of the WPL 2023
Harmanpreet Kaur pummelled five boundaries in an over of Monica Patel to collect 21 runs in the over. She brought up her fifty in just 21 deliveries. No Gujarat bowler could stop the storm Kaur brought into the DY Patil stadium. At last Sneh Rana snared the wicket of Kaur as Dayalan Hemaltha grabbed the catch at the backwards point.
MI skipper made 65 runs off 30 deliveries comprising a staggering 14 boundaries. Kerr also played a whirlwind knock to finish the innings to help her side cross 200. Kerr remained unbeaten on 45 off 24 balls along with Sneh Rana, and Issy Wong who finished the innings with a gigantic six. MI put a mammoth total of 207 on board in 20 overs after losing five wickets.
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Weak start for Gujarat Giants
Gujrat Giants didn’t have an ideal start to the innings, as their skipper Beth Mooney got retired hurt in the first over only. She twisted her ankle while taking a run.
Troubles didn’t stop here for the Giants as they lost their four batters in the powerplay itself. Nat Sciver-Brunt gives the first blow to the Giants by dismissing opener Harleen Deol on duck, followed by the wicket of the second opener Sabbhineni Meghana. English pacer Issy Wong bagged an important wicket of all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner on a duck.
Giants collapsed under pressure
The giants continued to lose wickets in succession under the pressure of a huge target in front of them. Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham and Sheh Rana couldn’t stay longer on the pitch. Sutherland could make only 6 runs off 14 deliveries; whereas Wareham scored just 8 runs off 11. Promising Indian all-rounder Sneh Rana managed to score only one run.
Squads of Mumbai Indians Women and Gujarat Giants
Mumbai Indians Women Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Heather Graham, Amanjot Kaur, Humaira Kazi, Priyanka Bala, Neelam Bisht, Issy Wong, Dhara Gujjar, Jintimani Kalita, Chloe Tryon, Saika Ishaque, Sonam Yadav
Gujarat Giants Squad: Beth Mooney (wk/c), Sabbhineni Meghana, Harleen Deol, Sophia Dunkley, Sushma Verma, Kim Garth, Ashleigh Gardner, Ashwani Kumari, Dayalan Hemalatha, Sneh Rana, Mansi Joshi, Tanuja Kanwar, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Hurley Gala, Shabnam Md Shakil
Playing XIs of Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants
Mumbai Indians Women (Playing XI): Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque
Gujarat Giants (Playing XI): Beth Mooney (wk/c), Georgia Wareham, Sneh Rana, Sabbhineni Meghana, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Dayalan Hemalatha, Tanuja Kanwar, Monica Patel, Mansi Joshi
