Giants break MI jinx to qualify for Eliminator

Harmanpreet Kaur's blazing 48-ball 82* went in vain as Gujarat Giants clinched an 11-run win at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi on Friday - their first-ever victory in nine Women's Premier League encounters against Mumbai Indians - to secure a place in the Eliminator of WPL 2026.

With a victory assuring a place in the next round up for grabs for both teams, Giants opted to bat first. But a testing spell from Shabnim Ismail and Nat Sciver-Brunt upfront had kept Giants in check. Beth Mooney departed cheaply, but a few extras ensured that Mumbai Indians didn't entirely seize the early momentum. Moreover, Sophie Devine and Anushka Sharma were quick to take the attack to the young Vaishnavi Sharma in the powerplay.

Giants brought up their half-century mid-way through the seventh over, but could never really push the accelerator, going at seven-an-over till the ninth over before Anushka lofted Amelia Kerr over long-off for a six. The veteran leggie, however, had the last laugh, and had Anushka miscuing her googly to long on off the next delivery. Devine fell in the next over, slogsweeping to Sciver-Brunt deep midwicket.

The entire innings had a bit of pull and push till the 88th delivery, when Giants brought up their 100. However, by then, with Ash Gardner and Georgia Wareham settled in and pressed the accelerator. Three boundaries and two sixes followed off the next six deliveries, with the region from mid wicket to fine leg finding heavy traffic.

The duo didn't hold back even against Ismail in the pacer's last over, carting her for two boundaries each. Nonetheless, Mumbai Indians managed to pull back the momentum in the death overs and restrict Giants to 167 for 4.

Giants's new-ball attack of Renuka Thakur and Kashvee Gautam probed Mumbai Indians' openers early on, not allowing them to break free. Sophie Devine added to their woes, dismissing the dangerous Hayley Matthews and Sciver-Brunt in successive overs to leave the defending champions reeling at 37 for 3 in the seventh over.

With the effect of the new ball wearing off, the onus was on Harmanpreet and Kerr to rebuild the innings through the middle phase. Harmanpreet, who was teased to attack the offside boundary on the longer side, was comfortably rocking back and cutting a flurry of fours off the spinners. Kerr struggled for similar momentum in her innings, and was eventually caught behind while attempting to cut a legbreak from Wareham.

With MI's lower-order not having been tested enough this season, Harmanpreet and Amanjot were tasked with scripting a famous run-chase. They measured their attack, and even as a boundary was scored off each of the following overs, the scoring rate had largely been controlled by Giants.

With 58 needed off the last four overs, the MI skipper broke free. She carted Rajeshwari Gayakwad for a boundary and a six to raise her half-century. Amanjot attempted to continue the carnage. However, after lofting the spinner for a boundary, she was out stumped. Soon enough, Wareham trapped Sanskriti Gupta legbefore and reduced MI to 127 for 6 in the 18th over.

Devine took over the task of bowling the penultimate over, and despite conceding two boundaries, had squeezed MI into a situation where they needed 26 off the final over. Despite having the services of Renuka and Kashvee, Gardner opted to bowl the final over.

It was a risky proposition, even if Harmanpreet had to clear the longer side of the boundary on the leg side. One swing sailed over the ropes. The second one, she missed. The third darted away from her, was comfortably hoisted over the boundary again, bringing the equation down to 14 from 3. Harmanpreet swung again, but could only take a single and end MI's hopes. Gardner completed the formalities and sealed her team's passage to the next round.

Mumbai Indians will now have to wait on the result of the contest between Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz on Sunday. If Capitals win, it will be the first time that the Harmanpreet-led side will be knocked out in the group stage. If Warriorz win, MI will have the chance of going through on a superior Net Run Rate.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Giants 167/4 in 20 overs (Ash Gardner 46, Georgia Wareham 44*; Amelia Kerr 2-26, Shabnim Ismail 1-29) beat Mumbai Indians 156/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 82*, S Sajana 26; Sophie Devine 2-23, Georgia Wareham 2-26) by 11 runs