Vadodara, Jan 30 (NationPress) Harmanpreet Kaur showcased her powerful batting prowess once again, scoring 82 not out. However, her effort was in vain as Gujarat Giants secured a spot in the 2026 WPL playoffs with an 11-run victory over Mumbai Indians at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, on Friday.

Choosing to bat first, GG set a target of 167/4, led by skipper Ashleigh Gardner with 46 runs and Georgia Wareham contributing 44 not out. Their partnership of 71 runs ensured a solid foundation for the bowlers to defend. MI struggled early in their innings, falling to 37/3 within the first seven overs.

Despite MI’s early setbacks, Harmanpreet mounted a spirited comeback, scoring 82* off 48 balls—her sixth fifty against GG, including eight fours and four sixes. With wickets tumbling around her, she fought valiantly, helping GG snap an eight-match losing streak against MI at a critical juncture of the season.

For GG, Sophie Devine and Georgia each took two wickets as they maintained their composure in a nail-biting finish. Despite Ashleigh being hit for two sixes by Harmanpreet in the last over, she successfully defended 26 runs, leading to jubilant celebrations from the GG team.

MI’s chase began with Hayley Matthews hitting a boundary off Renuka Singh in the first over, and Sajeevan Sajana quickly followed with three boundaries. GG’s first breakthrough came when Hayley was bowled for six in the fifth over. Sajana soon fell to Kashvee Gautam, and Nat Sciver-Brunt was dismissed by Sophie.

Under pressure, Harmanpreet entered the fray and began scoring with confidence, while Amelia Kerr supported her with some quick runs. Georgia broke their 45-run partnership in the 12th over when Amelia was caught behind for 14.

Harmanpreet continued to lead the charge, hitting boundaries and successfully reaching her 11th WPL fifty and sixth against GG. However, GG fought back, with Amanjot Kaur getting stumped and Sanskriti Gupta falling lbw to Wareham.

With the match on the line, Harmanpreet struck two boundaries in the 19th over. Needing 26 runs off the final over, she hit Ashleigh for two massive sixes, igniting hopes of a miraculous win for MI. Yet, Ashleigh held her composure, taking a catch off Poonam Khemnar and limiting Rahila Firdous to just a single, prompting celebrations in the GG camp.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Giants 167/4 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 46, Georgia Wareham 44*; Amelia Kerr 2-26, Shabnim Ismail 1-29) defeated Mumbai Indians 156/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 82*, Sajeevan Sajana 26; Sophie Devine 2-23, Georgia Wareham 2-26) by 11 runs