Harmanpreet’s Mumbai Indians seals a playoffs berth in style

The skipper’s 30-ball 51 and opener Yastika’s 37-ball 44 pilot the side to 162 despite the best efforts of Giants’ Sneh and Gardner; Sciver-Brunt and Matthews scuttle the Gujarat chase with three wicket bursts

Sometimes, some teams find ways to beat even the law of averages.

Mumbai Indians is doing that in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League, in front of its adoring fans, who never stopped cheering them on at the top of their voices at the Brabourne Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team stormed to its fifth win in a row, clinching a playoffs berth with three matches still remaining.

Mumbai Indians thrashed Gujarat Giants by 55 runs, after posting 162 for eight. Its innings was stifled a bit by what was possibly the finest show of fielding thus far at the WPL, as the Giants women flung themselves to stop the ball and plucked catches out of thin air.

Such catches normally win matches. But, not against this MI side.

Harmanpreet yet again led from the front. She played some delectable shots in her 30-ball 51 (7x4, 2x6). And Yastika Bhatia (44, 37b, 5x4, 1x6) earlier provided impetus at the start of the innings.

She once again showcased her wide array of shots, before she ran herself out, not entirely unexpectedly. Before that, she had stitched together a stand of 74 for the second wicket with Nat Sciver-Brunt (36, 31b, 5x4, 1x6).