Inaugural champions Mumbai Indians bolstered their way into the grand finale of season three of the Women’s Premier League, thanks to explosive innings from Nat Sciver-Brunt (77 off 41) and Hayley Matthews (77 off 50). Their aggressive batting display propelled Mumbi to a daunting total of 213/4, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur playing a belligerent and quickfire cameo of 36 runs off just 12 deliveries.
Chasing a massive total, Gujarat Giants were bowled out for 166 in the final over. With this stylish win, Mumbai maintained their perfect record against Gujarat Giants, registering their seventh consecutive win in the history of the competition.
Post the Eliminator of WPL 2025, a wholesome moment unfolded as Hardik Pandya, captain of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, took time to interact with one of India’s rising stars, Gujarat Giants’ all-rounder Kashvee Gautam. Hardik, accompanied by teammates Kieron Pollard and Tilak Verma were in attendance to cheer for the game.
Gautam shook hands and said, “Big fan, sir.” Hardik then asked her about her well-being and inquired about her performance in the season. “Kaisa raha season” (How was the season for you), to which Gautam replied “Bahoot acha tha” (It was fantastic).
Teammate and middle order batter Harleen Deol introduced Kashvee Gautam to her idol Pandya and told him that she (Gautam) is a big fan of him. “Yeh bahut badi fan hai aapki” (She is a big fan of yours).
Hardik is a premier batting all-rounder and was quite pleased to know about the same skills being equipped by the promising cricketer as well. Pandya gave a high-five to Gautam when Harleen told him that she has inscribed ‘HP33’ (Hardik Pandya 33 (jersey number) on her bat.
Hardik then asked, “Kaunsa weight wala bat use karti ho?” (What’s the bat weight you play with?). “1100 grams”,” replied Gautam. “Mai shred karke bhijvata hoon”, (I’ll get the bat shredded, customised, and will send it to you).
Gautam was greeted and enveloped with hugs from her teammates after the wholesome moment. Such moments may kindle and inspire youngsters to dream big- and who knows the prodigy could well take the baton on in the very next generation.
A serious contender to bag the Emerging player award is Gujarat Giants’ all-rounder Kashvee Gautam. At just 21 years old, Gautam has proven to be a priceless asset for the Giants in the 2025 WPL season. The young sensation has impressed with her control and precision, scalping 11 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate of 6.45. With a strike rate of 16.9 and an average of 18.18 with the ball, she has consistently troubled batters early on.
Her standout performance came against the UP Warriorz in Lucknow, where she registered her best bowling figures of 3/11. Capable of swinging the ball in the early overs and delivering under pressure at the death, Kashvee has emerged as a dependable option for her team across all phases of the game.
(Quotes sourced from video posted by Gujarat Giants On X)
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