WPL 2025: Mithali Credits Bharti Fulmali for Gujarat Giants' Resilience

Synopsis

Mithali Raj praised Bharti Fulmali's explosive performance for the Gujarat Giants in their close defeat to the Mumbai Indians during WPL 2025. Fulmali scored 61 runs off 25 balls, showcasing her improved skills and leading the chase despite a narrow loss.

Key Takeaways

Bharti Fulmali scored 61 runs off 25 balls in a valiant effort for the Gujarat Giants.
The match ended in a nine-run defeat for Gujarat against the Mumbai Indians.
Fulmali demonstrated significant improvement in her batting style.
Simran Shaikh contributed to the chase with vital runs.
The experience of the Mumbai Indians made a crucial impact on the game's outcome.

Mumbai, March 11 (NationPress) Former India captain Mithali Raj commended Bharti Fulmali for her explosive innings of 61 runs off 25 balls, which brought the Gujarat Giants back into contention during their narrow nine-run defeat to the Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League (WPL) match held at Brabourne Stadium on Monday.

The Gujarat Giants' consecutive three-match winning streak in WPL 2025 ended with this close loss against Mumbai Indians in their final league encounter.

Choosing to bowl first, Priya Mishra alongside Ashleigh Gardner, Kashvee Gautam, and Tanuja Kanwar each took a wicket, limiting MI to 179/6 in their allotted 20 overs. In response, Bharti unleashed an impressive 61 runs from just 25 deliveries, although it fell short as they lost by only nine runs.

"I believe Bharti Fulmali deserves recognition for her remarkable performance that rekindled hope for the Gujarat Giants. She executed her shots with excellent timing. Previously, she was perceived as a one-dimensional player focused on scoring on the on-side, but today she demonstrated versatility by hitting sixes over the bowler’s head and finding gaps square of the wicket as well," Mithali noted.

"Her growth is evident, and her experiences in the Women's Premier League have contributed significantly to her skill development. Additionally, Simran Shaikh played a pivotal role with a few powerful hits, bringing Gujarat closer to victory. Both played exceptionally well," she added during her commentary on JioHotstar.

In a challenging situation at 54/4, Phoebe Litchfield provided a brief spark with a 22-run cameo before falling to Shabnim Ismail in the 11th over. While batting at No.5, Bharti added another 22 runs with Deandra Dottin before Dottin was dismissed for 10.

Fulmali maintained her aggressive strategy, reaching a 22-ball fifty that reignited the Gujarat Giants' hopes. Sadly, in the 17th over, Amelia Kerr ended her fantastic innings. In the closing overs, both Simran Shaikh (18) and Tanuja Kanwar (10) made notable contributions, yet it wasn't sufficient as they faced their fourth defeat of the season.

Reflecting on the overall performance of the Gujarat Giants and their valiant effort against the Mumbai Indians, Mithali stated, "After losing key middle-order players, particularly after Phoebe Litchfield's dismissal, Bharti Fulmali and Simran Shaikh stepped up. Fulmali was particularly impactful, scoring crucial runs. Once she was out, it felt like the game was slipping away from Gujarat Giants.

"Nevertheless, Simran Shaikh’s late innings and an unexpected shot from Tanuja Kanwar surprised me. They both attempted to shift the game in Gujarat Giants' favor. Ultimately, the experience of the Mumbai Indians proved decisive today.