Mumbai Indians were up against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final league game of season three of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). In order to book a place in the finals, the Harmanpreet Kaur led side had to bag two points against a deflated Challengers side. However, much to everyone’s surprise, RCB delivered a clinical victory to end the campaign on a positive note. The win for Challengers meant that Mumbai will need to face the Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator, while Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals have booked their berth in the third consecutive final of the tournament.
Mentor and bowling coach of the Mumbai Indians Jhulan Goswami acknowledged the questions of the media after the last league game of WPL 2025 played between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
In the last couple of games, Matthews has farmed plenty of deliveries and hasn’t been able to do justice to her power hitting from the word-go. Acknowledging the performance of the power-hitter, the coach said, “Talking about Hayley Matthews, she has already proven herself in international cricket. She is such a professional cricketer, leading the West Indies team, and she is a very important member of our side. She brings a lot of value to our team as an opener. She can bowl at any stage—during the power play overs, in the middle overs—she has a lot of variations, is a good fielder, and is one of the key members of our squad.
“It is important to maintain her in a good frame of mind and just let her go out there and enjoy her cricket. That is all we need from her. We don’t need to tell her anything technical because she has already learned all of that. It is just a matter of going out there and enjoying her game. The more she enjoys her cricket, the better it is for the team.”
The margin of an 11-run victory for RCB could have been much heavier, had it not been a one-sided show by Nat Sciver-Brunt. Brunt took charge and hit the bowlers across the park during her 35-ball 65-run innings. She was dismissed during the 15th over, and with her departure, the hopes of an Indians’ win were quashed.
On whether Nat Sciver-Brunt’s dismissal was the turning point in the match, Indian stalwart Jhulan Goswami said that Nat is a crucial player for their team and one of the finest all-rounders in women’s cricket worldwide. She brings immense value, bats at number three, takes responsibility, bowls in the powerplay, and is a gun fielder. Against RCB, they were chasing a steep total, and no matter where one plays, when the scoreboard shows 180-plus in T20 cricket, it becomes a mind game. Mumbai were doing well, and it seemed like they might close the gap, but unfortunately, she got out at a crucial time.
Goswami added that one major positive for the team was that the players fought till the last ball. They believe in fighting till the very end. She acknowledged that Gujarat Giants, who they play in the Eliminator, is a quality team with quality players and that they have built a strong squad. She expressed hope for a great contest between Mumbai and Gujarat and mentioned that the team is looking forward to the game. She concluded by saying that whatever they learned from the match, the team management would sit down, discuss, and come up with a fresh plan.
“Playing back-to-back games is not easy, especially coming from Lucknow and adjusting to different weather and conditions. But we have to be ready. At the same time, we need to rest, recover, and prepare well for the next match.”
Amelia Kerr joined hands with Hayley Matthews to form the opening pair for the third consecutive time in the series. However, the dividends have not been paid yet. On the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year’s batting performance, she added, “Just recently, she won Player of the Tournament at the ICC T20 World Cup. These things happen—sometimes you play in different conditions, and as a player, you have to adapt quickly, move forward, and focus on what you can bring to the team. We are definitely looking forward to her contributions.”
On MI’s fielding and catching, a domain where the team would like to improvise, Goswami said, “As for fatigue, absolutely not. I don’t think that’s a factor. Players are professionals; they understand the demands of the game and prepare accordingly. Dropping catches happens in cricket—some days you take brilliant catches, and some days you drop a few. The important thing is to keep raising the bar. Our girls have set high standards for themselves, and we have to accept that mistakes happen. We have qualified for the next stage, and now we focus on our match against Gujarat. That is our main priority at this moment.”
On Amanjot Kaur’s batting, who has chipped in with valuable 114 runs, at a strike rate of 128.08, from 6 outings, Goswami said, “Amanjot Kaur wasn’t getting enough opportunities earlier because Pooja Vastrakar was there, but unfortunately, Pooja got injured this season. Amanjot has stepped up in a big way, taking responsibility with both batting and bowling. Her consistency with line and length and overall commitment have been fantastic to watch.”
On whether this is the best edition of the league, the 42-year-old said that this season of the WPL has been one of the most competitive they have seen. The best part is that it is not just overseas players performing—Indian players have also done exceptionally well. That is exactly what she demands from this tournament.
On the playing conditions in Mumbai, she added, “We are well aware of the conditions here because we had a camp—not at this ground but at a different one. We know it’s going to be a high-scoring game, and the outfield will be fast. We have prepared for all of that.”
The mentor said that they, of course, wanted to win the game and go straight to the final, which would have reduced the number of matches they had to play. However, they will now face Gujarat, and being familiar with the conditions in Mumbai will help them execute their plans better.
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