Mumbai Indians, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, were up against the Gujarat Giants, led by skipper Ashleigh Gardner, in a high stakes clash at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, on 30th January 2026 in the 19th game of the league stages. Both sides retained the same team that took the field in their previous encounters.
The home skipper, Ashleigh Gardner, won the toss and opted to bat first, breaking a trending streak of the last 40 games, where the skipper winning the toss had opted to bowl first in the WPL before this clash.
Wicket-keeper batter Beth Mooney departed in the 3rd over of the innings. The Giants batters, Sophie Devine (25 off 21 balls), Anushka Sharma (33 off 31 balls), skipper Ashleigh Gardner (46 off 28 balls), and Georgia Wareham (44* off 28 balls) chipped in with vital contributions as the home side posted a competitive total of 167/4 in their quota of 20 overs. Amelia Kerr (4-0-26-2), Shabnim Ismail (4-0-29-1), and Nat Sciver-Brunt (4-0-36-1) were the top performers with the ball for Mumbai Indians.
Chasing a target of 168, Mumbai Indians batting unit faltered as most of the batters were unable to form a substantial partnership on a tricky surface. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with a brilliant half-century, her 11th in the WPL, her 3rd in the ongoing season. The Mumbai Indians eventually fell 11 runs short of the target after being restricted to 156/7 in their quota of 20 overs. Amelia Kerr (20 off 16 balls), Sajeevan Sajana (26 off 25 balls), and Amanjot Kaur (13 off 12 balls) played their part with the bat for their side. Sophie Devine (4-1-23-2), Georgia Wareham (4-0-26-2), Kashvee Gautam (2-0-12-1), and skipper Ashleigh Gardner (3-0-26-1) were impressive with the ball for the home side.
Gujarat Giants secure a spot in the Eliminator on 3rd February 2026. It is also their 2nd consecutive appearance in the Eliminator in the WPL, doing it in style by defeating the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians for the first time in the history of the WPL.
Top Performers: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians
Sophie Devine
The veteran White Ferns all-rounder Sophie Devine has been one of the stand-out performers for the Gujarat Giants, delivering decisive impact for her side, especially under pressure this season. Sophie Devine (25 off 21 balls) played a crucial role in laying a solid platform at the top of the order after skipper Ashleigh Gardner made the bold call backing their strengths of batting first after winning the toss. She stitched a crucial 21-run opening stand alongside the wicket-keeper batter Beth Mooney, followed by another vital 48-run partnership for the 2nd wicket alongside the youngster Anushka Sharma (33 off 31 balls).
Besides her contributions with the bat, she also had another impressive day with the ball, as she returned with outstanding match figures of 4-1-23-2 with the ball for her side, denting the two-time champions Mumbai Indians’ hopes with massive scalps of Hayley Matthews (6 off 8 balls) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (2 off 6 balls). The Giants eventually got over the line with 11 runs. Sophie Devine reclaimed the purple cap with 17 wickets at an average of 13.94 and an economy of 7.94 in 8 innings, including a four-wicket haul in 8 matches with the ball for her side in the tournament so far.
Georgia Wareham
The 26-year-old promising all-rounder and leg-spinner, Georgia Wareham returned to Gujarat Giants in the 4th season after being with them in the inaugural edition in the year 2023. She hasn’t performed to her potential, particularly with the ball for her side in the ongoing season. However, she looked at her fluent best with the bat against Mumbai Indians, coming in at number five after the departure of Sophie Devine in the 11th over of the innings. She stitched impactful partnerships of 71 runs for the 4th wicket, alongside skipper Ashleigh Gardner, followed by providing the finishing touches to the innings en route to the unbeaten 25-run partnership for the 5th wicket alongside Bharti Fulmali.
Wareham stayed unbeaten on 44* (26 balls) as the home side posted a competitive total of 167/4 in a high-pressure game with a spot in the Eliminator on the line. Her knock included 4 boundaries and a couple of maximums, scoring at a strike rate of 169.23. Her confident day with the bat was reflected in her spell with the ball, as she returned to form at a crucial juncture in the tournament. She returned with match figures of 4-0-26-2, accounting for the scalps of Amelia Kerr (20 off 16 balls) and Sanskriti Gupta in her spell. Her all-round impact played a crucial role in helping the Gujarat Giants register their maiden victory against the Mumbai Indians in the history of the WPL, after a streak of 8 defeats against the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side.
Ashleigh Gardner
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner made the bold move at the toss, backing the strengths of the home side by batting first on winning the toss. She rediscovered her rhythm after a few quiet outings with the bat for her side. Gujarat Giants skipper, Ashleigh Gardner, came in at number 4 and joined Sophie Devine after the departure of Anushka Sharma in the 10th over of the innings. She stitched a vital 71-run partnership for the 4th wicket alongside Georgia Wareham to take her side closer to the 150-run mark. A smart piece of bowling from the leg-spinner Amelia Kerr ended Ashleigh Gardner’s (46 off 28 balls) impactful stay at the crease in the 18th over of the innings. Her knock included 7 boundaries and a maximum, scoring at a strike rate of 164.29.
Defending the total of 168, she made another brave call by taking the onus on herself to defend 26 runs in the final over against an ominous Harmanpreet Kaur. She did the job (3-0-26-1) for her side despite being smashed for 14 runs, which included the wicket of Poonam Khemnar. The Giants got over the line by 11 runs with a historic win to seal a berth in the Eliminator.
Harmanpreet Kaur
The destructive Indian and Mumbai Indians skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, has been an ultimate nemesis for Gujarat Giants in the WPL over the years. She showed her beast mode up yet again, leading Mumbai Indians charge from the front against her favourite opposition, chasing a total of 168. The Mumbai Indians skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, came in at number four, joining Nat Sciver-Brunt after the departure of Sajeevan Sajana on the final ball of the powerplay.
The Mumbai Indians fans hoped for another match-defining partnership in the in-form duo of Nat Sciver-Brunt and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. However, it wasn’t to be as Sophie Devine landed a massive blow by removing Nat Sciver-Brunt (2 off 6 balls) in the 7th over of the run chase to reduce the visitors to 37/3. However, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur found support alongside Amelia Kerr as they stitched a much-needed 45-run partnership for the 4th wicket. It was followed by another impressive 44-run partnership for the 5th wicket alongside Amanjot Kaur, which kept them in the hunt in the run chase. Harmanpreet Kaur (82* off 48 balls) registered her 6th half-century against the Gujarat Giants and her 11th overall in the WPL.
The Mumbai Indians skipper fought till the end, taking them to the touching distance of getting over the line in a remarkable run chase. However, after smashing a couple of maximums in the first three balls against Ashleigh Gardner in the final over, she was left stranded at the non-striker’s end for the last couple of balls. As a result, the Mumbai Indians eventually fell 11 runs short. Her knock included 8 boundaries and 4 maximums, scoring at a strike rate of 170.83.
The defeat also marked the first instance in the history of the WPL where Mumbai Indians lost a game after their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur scored a half-century. Harmanpreet Kaur has reclaimed the orange cap with 342 runs at a strike rate of 150.66 and an average of 68.40, in 8 innings, including 3 half-centuries in 8 matches with the bat for her side this season so far.
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