Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s all-round brilliance propelled Mumbai Indians (MI) Women into the final of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, as they defeated Gujarat Giants by 47 runs in the Eliminator. Their dominant performance was cheered on by MI’s men’s team, including captain Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, and batting coach Kieron Pollard, as seen in a celebratory video shared by the franchise.
Mumbai Indians set to face Delhi Capitals in grand finale
Matthews and Sciver-Brunt both smashed 77 runs, with Matthews taking 50 balls and Sciver-Brunt reaching the mark in just 41 balls. Their explosive knocks were further boosted by captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s fiery 36 off just 12 balls, helping MI post a massive 213/4 in 20 overs.
In response, Gujarat Giants never found momentum in their chase. Matthews shined with the ball as well, taking 3 wickets for 31 runs in 3.2 overs, earning her the Player of the Match award. Sciver-Brunt also contributed, finishing with 1/31 in 4 overs.
Daniell Gibson (34 off 24) and Phoebe Litchfield (31 off 20) showed glimpses of resistance, while Bharti Fulmali’s 30 off 20 delayed the inevitable. However, skipper Ashleigh Gardner, who had rescued her team multiple times this season, had an off day with the bat, sealing Gujarat’s fate.
With this win, MI set up a final clash against Delhi Capitals (DC), who had directly qualified after finishing top of the league stage with 10 points in 8 matches. MI had the same points but ended second due to a lower net run rate. Now, all eyes are on the grand final, where MI will aim to regain their title.
