Gujarat Giants defeated Mumbai Indians by 11 runs at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, on Friday in WPL 2026, ending a long losing streak and booking their place in the Eliminator.
This was Gujarat’s first win over Mumbai in nine WPL meetings. The match played out as a virtual knockout, with both sides fighting for the final Eliminator spot.
Gujarat posted 167 for 4 after a slow start with the bat. The innings was held together by Ashleigh Gardner, who scored 46, and Georgia Wareham, who remained unbeaten on 44.
Gujarat were steady rather than fast in the first half of the innings. The run rate rose in the final five overs as Wareham regularly found the boundary and punished loose balls.
The Mumbai Indians had their chances early but could not break key partnerships. The fielding side struggled to stop runs at the death, which later proved costly.
Chasing 168, Mumbai relied heavily on captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who played a brilliant knock of 82 not out off 48 balls. She kept Mumbai in the match till the end.
However, wickets at regular intervals are hurting Mumbai’s chase. Sophie Devine struck early as Wareham removed key batters in the middle overs to slow down the scoring.
Mumbai’s lower middle class came under pressure, an area that had not been tested much earlier in the season. They finished at 156 for 7 and fell short despite Harmanpreet’s late batting.
The turning point came in the final. Gardner opted to bowl it himself with 26 runs to defend. Harmanpreet hit two sixes but Gardner kept her cool and wrapped up the match for Gujarat.
The win sends Gujarat Giants to the Eliminator, breaking a long-standing mental barrier against the defending champions.
Qualification for Mumbai Indians is now out of their hands. If Delhi Capitals beat UP Warriorz, Mumbai will be eliminated. However, a UP Warriorz win will keep Mumbai alive thanks to their better net run rate.
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