In a mismatch of epic proportions, Mumbai Indians crushed Gujarat Giants by 143 runs to stamp their authority with an all-round present because the Women’s Premier League acquired underway in Navi Mumbai on Saturday. After posting a mammoth 207/5, powered by captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s sensational 30-ball 65 laced with 14 boundaries, Mumbai Indians’ bowlers led by Saika Ishaque (4/11) produced an outstanding present to limit Gujarat Giants to only 64/9 in 15.1 overs and make a dream begin to the competitors. Gujarat Giants captain Beth Mooney suffered an harm within the first over and retired damage after preliminary checkup on the sphere, and couldn’t return to bat once more.
Mumbai Indians not solely dominated Gujarat Giants proper from the beginning but in addition showcased their aggressive fashion of play each with the bat and the ball within the first sport itself, delighting a fairly-packed crowd.
India and Mumbai Indians captain Kaur recorded the first-ever half-century of WPL with beautiful strokeplay and added 89 runs from simply 42 balls with New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr (45 not out from 24 balls, 6x4s, 1×6) after Hayley Matthews offered the preliminary fireworks.
Kaur’s innings was straight out of textbook for all of the home gamers watching in her group, competitors and past. She discovered gaps at will, related the ball completely, and didn’t give a single probability to the opposition bowlers to capitalise.
But earlier than Kaur’s onslaught, it was the aggressive West Indies batter Matthews who seemed set to attain the primary fifty of the match however sadly fell simply three runs brief.
Matthews smoked 4 sixes and three fours to make 47 from 31 balls and added 54 runs for the second wicket with Nat Sciver-Brunt, an affiliation that laid the platform for a robust first-innings whole for the successful facet.
England star Sciver-Brunt was in her components on Saturday night time as after smoking 5 fours for her 18-ball 23, she returned a gap spell of 2-0-5-2 that helped derail the Gujarat Giants off the observe.
It was definitely a forgettable first outing for Gujarat Giants who didn’t have a lot to cheer about.
After their bowlers have been hammered everywhere in the park for a grand whole of 31 fours and 6 sixes by the Mumbai Indians, the wheels got here off utterly after they have been left tottering at 23/6 after 7.1 overs.
With the pounding obtained within the first half of the sport, the issues turned worse for the Gujarat Giants as quickly as their chase started.
In the primary over, Gujarat Giants’ captain and arguably one of the best batter within the facet, Mooney retired damage after going through solely her third ball. She is believed to have injured her left knee after making a number of paces for a run however deciding in opposition to it.
On the ultimate supply, Nat Sciver-Brunt drew the primary blood getting Harleen Deol caught at deep third man for a two-ball duck.
The England participant returned within the third over to harm Gujarat Giants additional, this time cleansing up opening batter Sabbhineni Meghana for a 4-ball 2.
But earlier than they misplaced Meghana, Gujarat Giants had suffered an enormous blow within the type of Ashleigh Gardner, with Hayley Matthews taking a pointy catch on the first slip off the right-arm pacer Issy Wong to stroll again for a golden duck.
Saika Ishaque eliminated Annabel Sutherland (6) within the fifth over, and returned within the seventh over of the innings to scrub up Georgia Wareham (8), benefiting from the stress created by the spectacular right-arm seamer Wong from the opposite finish, who gave no room for scoring in her first spell (3-0-7-1).
The left-arm orthodox spinner Saika returned with 3.1-1-11-4.
The pair of Dayalan Hemlatha (29 not out) and Mansi Joshi (6) did their greatest to delay the inevitable, however Mumbai Indians accomplished the win with 29 balls to spare.
Earlier within the sport, Gujarat Giants’ skipper Mooney determined to take up wicketkeeping duties – one thing which she hasn’t performed recurrently in her profession – and invited Mumbai Indians to bat after successful the toss.
Mooney’s facet made loads of errors within the discipline, with the bowlers straying down the leg facet most of the time within the first half and fielding poorly, which in a manner highlighted the dearth of time and alternative that the WPL groups have gotten within the lead-up to the match.
But earlier than all of that, WPL started with the acquainted razzmatazz of a glittering opening ceremony that includes Bollywood actresses Kiara Advani and Kirti Sanon, who carried out alongside singer AP Dhillon and the night sky was lit up by spectacular fireworks.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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