MI Women Go Through The Finals Of WPL 2025
Hayley Matthews put on a stunning all-round show and combined with Nat Sciver-Brunt to take Mumbai Indians to the WPL 2025 final, where they meet serial finalists Delhi Capitals. The West Indian smashed a 50-ball 77 and then returned to dismiss Ashleigh Gardner inside the PowerPlay to put the game beyond Gujarat Giants’ reach very early. In the first half, she also added 133 runs with Sciver-Brunt – the best-ever stand for the team in the tournament – as the inaugural winners posted a gargantuan 213/4 in 20 overs.
The Giants fell 47 short in the chase. The Giants could not overcome their habitual poor fielding and catching in the gravest of circumstances, as they spurned Matthews at vital junctures: on 5 and 57, they dropped her twice while also giving Sciver-Brunt (dropped on 73) and Harmanpreet Kaur (dropped on 2) a life apiece. Sciver-Brunt added just four runs after that but the MI captain made the most of it by maximizing the death overs with a 12-ball 36 that contained two fours and four sixes.
That flourish at the end – where MI smashed 89 off the last six overs – was enabled by the massive partnership for the second wicket between two of MI’s best players. They anchored a patient recovery after the PowerPlay, with the first wicket falling in the fifth over as in-form opener Yastika Bhatia was dismissed for 15 off 14. The Giants missed a key player in Deandra Dottin for this match, as she aggravated an injury while warming up and her place in the team was filled by debutant Danielle Gibson. Gibson earned the first breakthrough but thereafter, there was a careless performance with the ball by the Giants, the situation worsened by a pedestrian fielding and catching.
After 11 overs, MI were well on track for a compelling performance, with a score of 100/1 and Matthews bringing up her 36 ball half century with a six. Gardner brought back Gibson in the 15th over, hoping she could snuff out her England compatriot, but Sciver-Brunt made good use of the familiarity, tonking a six off the second ball to get to her half-century, off 30 balls. The over soon produced 16 runs to kick-start a sprint to finish, even as both half-centurions fell for 77.
Harmanpreet just picked up from the pair with her huge hits remaining firm for MI on the pedal, pushing MI past 200. MI showed how much good fielding and catching can help them in the opening over with a splendid catch at first slip from Matthews to see the back of Beth Mooney while a quick fielding effort in the fifth over had Harleen Deol run-out.
This was not the end of Matthews’ night; she landed the biggest blow by cleaning up Gardner and putting the chase in tailspin. Once again, Dottin missed Giants in a daunting chase like this, although Gibson, her substitute, began well; she was soon, though, run out on a 24-ball 34.
Although MI struggled with dew being heavier, Phoebe Litchfield and Bharti Fulmali kept the fight alive. The required asking rating was, however, so high it made the batters take risks. The inevitable ended with Litchfield going down the pitch and getting stumped off Amelia Kerr for a 20-ball 31. After Fulmali left, bowled by a flighted delivery from Matthews, the Giants needed 72 from 27 balls. Although Simran Shaikh (17 off 8) and Tanuja Kanwar (16 off 12) threw their bats around briefly, Giants fell way short being bowled out for 166.
Image Credit: Smriti’s 53 , Perry’s All-Round Performance Beat MI Women By 11 Runs
