By Victoria Hamilton 
Mumbai Indians (MI) are off the mark in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, registering a commanding five-wicket victory over Gujarat Giants (GG) in Match 5. The win extends MI’s perfect record against GG to five wins in five meetings across WPL seasons.
A stellar bowling performance set the foundation for MI’s victory, restricting Gujarat to 120 all out in 19.3 overs. Hayley Matthews (3-16), Amelia Kerr (2-22), and Natalie Sciver-Brunt (2-26) led the charge, dismantling GG’s batting lineup. Sciver-Brunt then completed her all-round masterclass with a match-winning 57 off 39 balls, ensuring MI’s chase was wrapped up with 23 balls to spare.
Gujarat Giants Struggle After Early Collapse
Following the tournament trend, MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur opted to bowl first after winning the toss. The decision paid off immediately, as Natalie Sciver-Brunt removed Beth Mooney in just the second over. Laura Wolvaardt soon followed, falling to the pace of Shabnim Ismail, and GG was reeling at 16/3 inside four overs.
Things worsened for Gujarat when Ashleigh Gardner, their in-form batter, departed for just 10 runs after a sharp catch by Sajeevan Sajana in the deep. By the end of the powerplay, GG had lost four key wickets and were struggling at 28/4.
With wickets tumbling at regular intervals, Harleen Deol (32 off 31) was the lone fighter for GG. She attempted to rebuild the innings alongside Kashvee Gautam (20 off 15), but MI’s disciplined bowling never let Gujarat recover. Their 24-run partnership—GG’s best of the innings—was broken when Gautam fell to Matthews.
The Giants were eventually bundled out for 120, as Matthews completed her three-wicket haul, with Kerr and Sciver-Brunt also picking up crucial breakthroughs.
Sciver-Brunt’s Brilliance Guides MI’s Chase
Chasing 121, MI made a steady start but lost Hayley Matthews (17 off 19) early. Yastika Bhatia (19) looked set before falling to Priya Mishra, who continued her fine bowling form from the previous match.
MI then suffered a brief hiccup as captain Harmanpreet Kaur (4) was trapped lbw by Kashvee Gautam, leaving them at 55/3 after eight overs. However, any hopes of a Gujarat comeback were dashed by Sciver-Brunt, who counter-attacked with an array of aggressive strokes.
Despite two quick wickets from Gautam and Mishra, MI remained in control, thanks to Sciver-Brunt’s well-paced 57, backed by a composed 19 from Amelia Kerr. MI comfortably chased down the target in 16.1 overs, maintaining their unbeaten run against Gujarat.
Key Performances:
Natalie Sciver-Brunt: 57 (39) & 2/26 – Star all-round display
Hayley Matthews: 3/16 – Destroyed GG’s top order
Amelia Kerr: 2/22 & 19 (16) – Crucial with both bat and ball
Harleen Deol: 32 (31) – Gujarat’s top scorer in a struggling batting effort
Kashvee Gautam: 2/15 – Picked up key MI wickets
Brief Scores:
Gujarat Giants: 120/10 in 19.3 overs (Harleen Deol 32, Kashvee Gautam 20, Hayley Matthews 3-16, Amelia Kerr 2-22, Sciver-Brunt 2-26)
Mumbai Indians: 122/5 in 16.1 overs (Natalie Sciver-Brunt 57, Amelia Kerr 19, Kashvee Gautam 2-15, Priya Mishra 2-28)
Zainab Shafiq