Harmanpreet Pulls off a Heist Against Gujarat Giants as Mumbai Indians Record Highest Successful Chase in WPL History

However, a remarkable innings from MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur poured cold water on their hopes as it single-handedly pulled the defending champions from the brink of a defeat.

Harmanpreet orchestrated the highest successful chase in the league’s short history, leaving GG shell-shocked with a 7-wicket defeat as they chased down 191 with a delivery to spare.

Harmanpreet led the heist to ensure MI’s qualification to the playoffs with a game to go in WPL league stage. She scored an unbeaten 95 off 48 balls, the highest individual score of this season so far which included 10 fours and 5 mighty sixes.

In pursuit of the big total, MI opener Yastika Bhatia roared back into form but missed out on her second fifty by a whisker, scoring 49 runs off 36 balls.

Pairing up with Hayley Mathews, she took MI to 50/0 in the Powerplay and then stitched a 41-run partnership with skipper Harmanpreet before falling prey to Ashleigh Gardener in the 14th over.

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With 92 needed off 27, Harmanpreet was joined by Amelia Kerr and the soaring required run-rate, a high 13.09 per over, left them in a ‘now or never’ situation.

MI skipper Harmanpreet, who was batting on 20 off 21 then, hit the top gear and raced to her fifty in the next 18 deliveries. She turned even more ferocious in the 18th over as she punished Sneh Rana with three fours and a couple of sixes, creaming 24 overs from the six deliveries, rocketing to 75 off just 40 deliveries.

With the momentum now in MI’s favour, there was a bizarre incident that caused a delay at the Kotla. At least 4-5 sprinklers turned on and kept watering a certain portion of the ground for close to 20 seconds. The groundstaff was summoned with super-sopper to dry the outfield as the play was briefly halted for about eight minutes.

MI needed 23 runs more off the last 12 balls and it was feared that the break may work against MI. However, Harmanpreet was in the zone and wasn’t ready to give-up. She struck a couple of sixes more, one each off Tanuja Kanwar and Ashleigh Gardner, and a four to finally hand MI one of the greatest victories of the WPL history.

Earlier, blazing fifties from skipper Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalatha set the base for yet another 190-plus score for Gujarat Giants in the Delhi leg of the league before they suffered a late collapse. They stitched a massive 121-run stand for the second wicket as the GG posted 190/7 in 20 overs.

Matthews provided an early breakthrough by knocking over Laura Wolvaardt (13 off 14) in the third over. However, Mooney and Hemalatha joined forces and made the MI fielders dance to their tunes, scoring 52 runs in the Powerplay.

Boundaries kept raining off the bats of Mooney and Hemalatha. Amelia Kerr was into the attack in the 10th over but she too found herself at the receiving end as Hemalatha greeted her with a couple of fours and a six, bringing 100 runs on the board at the halfway mark of their innings.

In the next over, Mooney notched up her second consecutive fifty this season and turned more vibrant in terms of her shot making. She shuffled across twice in the 12th over to scoop Pooja Vastrakar for a couple of sixes. Soon, Hemalatha also reached her maiden fifty this season, off just 28 balls, and the pair looked invincible.

MI were struggling and probably, a pep talk from the head coach Charlotte Edwards was required to boost their dropping morale. She stepped in during the second strategic time-out and what unfolded thereafter between was simply remarkable.

Harmanpreet & Co were suddenly over the moon as they picked up a wicket each in the next four overs. Sajeevan Sajana came up with a magical delivery to break the 121-run partnership, castling Mooney (66 off 35) with a back of a length delivery. And once the GG skipper departed, the floodgates were thrown open.

Saika Ishaque got the better of Phoebe Litchfield (3), Ashleigh Gardner (1) was undone by Pooja Vastrakar and Kathryn Bryce (1) was run-out before former captain Sneh Rana holed out to Amanjot Kaur off Ishaque’s bowling in the final over. While the wickets kept tumbling, it was Bharti Fulmali, the replacement for injured Harleen Deol, who played a terrific cameo, an unbeaten 21 off 13, with the help of a four and six.