Mumbai Indians, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, continued their dominant run against Gujarat Giants, led by skipper Ashleigh Gardner, extending their streak to 8-0 in the WPL on 13th January 2026, in the ongoing 4th edition of the tournament at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.
Ashleigh Gardner yet again lost the toss this season and was being asked to bat first by Harmanpreet Kaur. Sophie Devine continued her rhythm, smashing a couple of boundaries, before she was dismissed by Shabnim Ismail, courtesy of an outstanding catch from the wicket-keeper batter Gunalan Kamalini in the 3rd over of the innings to provide the first breakthrough for Mumbai Indians.
Kanika Ahuja was promoted to number 3, courtesy of an injury to Anushka Sharma, which ruled her out of the contest and was replaced by the WPL debutant Ayushi Soni in the side. The promotion for Kanika Ahuja worked fantastically for Gujarat Giants, providing the impetus to the innings. The debutant Ayushi Soni became the first player to be retired out in the history of the Tata WPL, being replaced by Bharti Fulmali at the crease.
The move worked as the duo of Georgia Wareham and Bharti Fulmali provided the finishing touches to the innings as Gujarat Giants posted a total of 192/5 in their quota of 20 overs, becoming the first team to surpass 180+ runs in 3 consecutive games in the Tata WPL history. Shabnim Ismail, Nicola Carey, Hayley Matthews, and Amelia Kerr picked up a wicket each with the ball for Mumbai Indians. The Mumbai Indians got off to a positive start; however, losing both their openers inside the power play.
In the absence of an unwell Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur received a promotion at number 3. She laid the platform for the run chase alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur with a massive partnership for the 3rd wicket, settling the nerves in Mumbai Indians camp. Nicola Carey stepped in and took the baton over. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur shattered multiple records en route to guiding the Mumbai Indians over the line with 4 balls to spare, scoring an unbeaten half-century to seal their record-high run chase in the WPL. Kashvee Gautam, Renuka Singh and Sophie Devine picked up a wicket each for the Gujarat Giants.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur scored her 5th WPL half-century against Gujarat Giants. Harmanpreet Kaur was awarded the Player of the Match.
Top Performers: Match 6: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians
Kanika Ahuja:
The young 23-year-old all-rounder Kanika Ahuja, coming in lower down the order for Gujarat in the first couple of games, didn’t get much of an opportunity to showcase her skills with the bat for her side. However, an unfortunate injury to Anushka Sharma, playing in the debut season in the WPL, ruled her out of the contest, opened up the opportunity for the 23-year-old all-rounder from Punjab to have a larger impact on the game.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner made the move straight away by promoting Kanika Ahuja to the number 3 after being inserted to bat first by Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Kanika justified her skipper’s call by infusing momentum into the innings with an enterprising cameo 35 (18 balls) en route to stitching a vital 42-run partnership for the 2nd wicket alongside wicket-keeper batter Beth Mooney, followed by a brisk 33-run partnership for the 3rd wicket alongside skipper Ashleigh Gardner. Kanika Ahuja’s knock included 4 boundaries and a couple of maximums, scoring at a strike rate of 194.44.
Bharti Fulmali:
Bharti Fulmali had one of the most dramatic entries to the crease as she was called upon for her power-hitting by Gujarat Giants management. The dynamics of the game situation meant the 25-year-old debutant Ayushi Soni, who was struggling to find the gaps, became the first-ever player to be retired out in the history of the WPL after the conclusion of the 16th over of the innings. The drama continued as she was adjudged lbw on the first couple of consecutive deliveries bowled by Amanjot Kaur in the 17th over of the innings.
The decisions turned out to be absolute howlers as the ball clearly missed the stumps on the Hawk-Eye system, with technology coming to Bharti Fulmali’s rescue, overturning the on-field call upon 2 successful reviews by the batter. Fulmali capitalised on the opportunities and launched a brutal power-hitting onslaught, scoring 36* (15 balls), which included 3 boundaries and 3 maximums, scoring at a devastating strike rate of 240. Her blockbuster finish alongside Georgia Wareham 43* (33 balls) pushed the total closer to the 200-run mark.
Amanjot Kaur:
In the absence of an unwell Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur was promoted to number 3 in a stiff run chase of 193. She came in after the departure of G Kamalini in the 3rd over of the run chase and assessed the conditions. She grew in confidence as soon as she was joined by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Amanjot found gaps with precision and played around with the field set to keep the scoreboard ticking at par with the required rate. She was eventually dismissed by Sophie Devine at a crucial juncture in the run chase. Her knock of 40 (26 balls) included 7 boundaries. In the bowling department (4-0-48-0), she bore the brunt of the Bharti Fulmali onslaught.
Harmanpreet Kaur:
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led the charge yet again with the bat, delivering a masterclass innings of 71* (43 balls) in a run chase against Gujarat Giants. She stitched crucial partnerships of 72 runs for the 3rd wicket alongside Amanjot Kaur, followed by an unbeaten 84 runs partnership for the 4th wicket alongside Nicola Carey to guide her side over the line. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur also became the first Indian to surpass 1,000 WPL runs and the 2nd overall alongside her teammate Nat Sciver-Brunt.
She also recorded her record 10th WPL half-century and her 5th against Gujarat Giants. However, a bit of fortune favoured her as she was dropped thrice by Gujarat Giants, making the Giants pay heavily for their missed opportunities. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s knock included 7 boundaries and a couple of maximums. She was also awarded the Player of the Match.
Nicola Carey:
Nicola Carey continued to capitalise on her uncertain opportunities, making a strong case for herself as the first-choice pick for that 4th overseas slot in Mumbai Indians lineup. She delivered another impactful all-round performance for her side. She returned with match figures of 4-0-36-1 in her spell, accounting for the big scalp of the opposition skipper, Ashleigh Gardner, with the bat. She backed that up with a vital knock of 38* (23 balls) with the bat for her side to guide Mumbai Indians over the line alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the run chase. Her knock included 6 boundaries.
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