WPL: MI’s Batting Unit Will Fully Hit Its Stride as the Tournament Progresses, Opines Mithali
Former India skipper Mithali Raj praised Mumbai Indians' strong performance in their comfortable five-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League (WPL).
Vadodara: Former India skipper Mithali Raj praised Mumbai Indians’ strong performance in their comfortable five-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). She described the victory as “comprehensive and commanding” for the inaugural season champions.
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Mumbai Indians’ Convincing Win Over Gujarat Giants
A collective bowling effort from Hayley Matthews (3-16), Amelia Kerr (2-22), and Natalie Sciver-Brunt (2-26) helped Mumbai Indians restrict Gujarat Giants to a modest total of 121. Mumbai’s chase was led by Nat Sciver-Brunt, who contributed with both bat and ball, securing a half-century to cap off an all-round performance that handed MI a five-wicket victory with 23 balls to spare.
“Mumbai Indians started strong by winning the toss and then maintained control by consistently taking crucial wickets against Gujarat Giants. They bowled in the right areas, picking up key dismissals, particularly of the overseas players, restricting Gujarat Giants to just 121 runs.
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The chase was executed efficiently, finishing in just over 16 overs. Overall, it was a comprehensive and commanding victory for Mumbai Indians,” Mithali said on JioHotstar.
Key Moments: MI’s Early Dominance and Sciver-Brunt’s All-Round Performance
MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to field, a decision that immediately paid off as Sciver-Brunt made an impact during the PowerPlay. She dismissed Beth Mooney, and on the stroke of the PowerPlay, also got rid of Ashleigh Gardner for just 10 runs, putting Gujarat Giants under pressure.
Praising Sciver-Brunt‘s performance, Mithali said, “Nat Sciver-Brunt is having a fantastic season, both with the ball and the bat. This was her second fifty of the season, and she played with great assurance, displaying her signature shots. The moment she walks in, you can tell she is in top form.”
MI’s Team Effort: Batting Unit Still to Reach Full Potential
Mithali also highlighted Mumbai Indians’ collective team effort and mentioned that the team’s batting unit is still progressing. “While Hayley Matthews didn’t have a big innings today, she did provide a solid start. Amelia Kerr also got off to a decent beginning.
As the tournament progresses, by the third or fourth game, we can expect Mumbai Indians’ batting unit to fully hit its stride. However, as a captain, it is reassuring to see your in-form batter consistently contributing runs, which bodes well for the team moving forward.”
Gujarat Giants’ Struggles: Need for Middle Order Contributions
Former West Indies cricketer Stacy-Ann King analyzed Gujarat Giants’ performance and stated that the Ashleigh Gardner-led side needs better starts and middle-order contributions to set defendable totals.
She said, “As we look back at tonight’s match and the way they went about things, I thought they were just a bit too aggressive too early, especially after losing the openers. They need to get a good start, the middle order needs to contribute, and I think that’s the big thing for them.”
King added, “They’ve got the bowling, they’ve had young players step up with the ball, but it’s just about the batting. They need to put together a proper total so that they can defend.”
