WPL 2026: Harmanpreet's 82 Not Out In Vain As Gujarat Giants Seal Playoffs Spot (Ld)

(MENAFN- IANS) Vadodara, Jan 30 (IANS) Eight straight defeats to Mumbai Indians and a rivalry that had become their biggest stumbling block – the odds were stacked up against Gujarat Giants when their decisive WPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians arrived at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, on Friday.

The winner would go to playoffs, while the loser would have to wait till Sunday to see if they would be in the tournament or not. When it mattered the most, GG finally broke the MI hoodoo – becoming ninth time lucky by holding their nerve to script an 11-run win, their first ever against Mumbai, and punched their ticket to the WPL 2026 playoffs.

Opting to bat first on a sluggish pitch, GG posted 167/4, thanks to skipper Ashleigh Gardner's 46 and Georgia Wareham's unbeaten 44. The pair's 71-run stand off 43 balls lifted GG past the 165-run mark, giving their bowlers a cushion to defend. MI faltered early in their chase as they slipped to 37/3 in seven overs.

But Harmanpreet Kaur, the mighty MI skipper, staged a gusty fightback with a composed 82 not out off 48 balls - her sixth fifty against GG laced with eight fours and four sixes. But with wickets falling from the other end, Harmanpreet had to wage a lone battle, as GG sealed their advancement to the playoffs by keeping MI to 156/7.

For GG, Sophie Devine and Georgia picked two wickets apiece as the side held their nerve in a tense finish - Ashleigh defended 26 runs in the final over, despite being hit for two sixes by Harmanpreet. With a playoffs spot secured, GG celebrated the victorious moment by waving to their home crowd.

GG didn't have the best of starts – they lost Beth Mooney for five, caught splendidly by Sajeevan Sajana at mid-wicket off Shabnim Ismail in the third over. Sophie and Anushka Sharma then steadied the innings with a 48-run stand. Devine struck three boundaries in her 25, while Anushka looked fluent in hitting four fours and a six in making 33.

But both fell in successive overs to Amelia and Nat Sciver-Brunt – Anushka miscued the googly to long-on while Sophie pulled straight to deep mid-wicket. With GG at 71/3, Ashleigh and Georgia took their time to rebuild, before striking boundaries at will.

Ashleigh upped the ante when she struck Hayley Matthews for three fours and a six in the 16th over. She and Georgia then hit Shabnim for two boundaries each to bring the innings back on track. Though Ashleigh fell in the 18th over, Georgia nailed a four and six off Nat to ensure GG went past 165-mark.

Chasing 168, Hayley Matthews opened her account with a boundary off Renuka Singh in the very first over, while Sajeevan Sajana flicked, cut and lofted to pick three quick boundaries. The breakthrough for GG came in the fifth over when had Hayley chopping on to her stumps for six. Sajana was next to fall – miscuing to mid-off against Kashvee Gautam, before Nat pulled straight to mid-wicket off Sophie.

Harmanpreet walked in under pressure and immediately looked assured by taking boundaries off Georgia and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Amelia Kerr provided support by cutting and pulling to get her boundaries. But Georgia broke the 45-run stand in the 12th over when Amelia went for a cut, but was smartly caught by Beth Mooney behind the stumps.

Harmanpreet, however, continued to anchor the chase – slog-sweeping and driving her way, before sweeping Rajeshwari for six to bring up her 11th WPL fifty and sixth against GG. But GG fought back when Amanjot Kaur was stumped off Rajeshwari in the 17th over, while Sanskriti Gupta fell lbw to Wareham without scoring.

But Harmanpreet kept the chase alive by carving Sophie for two boundaries in the 19th over. With 26 needed off the final over, Harmanpreet launched Gardner for two towering sixes off full tosses - one over mid-wicket and another over extra cover - raising expectations of a dramatic heist for MI. But Ashleigh held her nerve, dismissing Poonam Khemnar in caught and bowled mode, before restricting Rahila Firdous to a single off the last ball and trigger joyful celebrations in the GG camp.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Giants 167/4 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 46, Georgia Wareham 44 not out; Amelia Kerr 2-26, Shabnim Ismail 1-29) beat Mumbai Indians 156/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 82 not out, Sajeevan Sajana 26; Sophie Devine 2-23, Georgia Wareham 2-26) by 11 runs

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