Navi Mumbai, Jan 15 (NationPress) Harleen Deol delivered a stellar performance, scoring an impressive 64 not out from just 39 balls, as UP Warriorz clinched a decisive seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday. The win marked the end of their winless run this season.

Deol, who faced controversy after being retired out on 47 the previous night, showcased her dominance against MI's bowling with precise and powerful strokes, particularly on the off-side. With an array of cuts, drives, and late-cuts, her timing left MI's bowlers scrambling to adjust their field settings, ultimately proving ineffective against her finesse.

Phoebe Litchfield contributed solidly with 25, while Chloe Tryon added an undefeated 27, ensuring a smooth finish as UPW secured their inaugural win of the season with 11 balls to spare, largely due to Harleen's masterclass.

The chase for UP Warriorz commenced with Kiran Navgire surviving an lbw appeal from Nicola Carey, benefiting from the umpire's call. Shabnim Ismail maintained pressure, while Meg Lanning found some boundaries, aided by Kiran's consecutive fours against Shabnim.

When Nat Sciver-Brunt came into play, Meg struck her first ball for four and followed up with a six off a slower delivery. However, MI's frustration grew when a dropped catch from Meg added to their woes. The game's momentum shifted dramatically in the first over after the Power-play when Nat dismissed both Meg and Kiran, caught by Sajeevan Sajana at deep square-leg while attempting pulls.

Proving her critics wrong, Harleen began her innings with four boundaries in her first six balls, highlighted by a stylish shot through the off-side against Nicola. Phoebe soon joined in with her own strokes, including a six over long-on.

Harleen continued her assault, smashing three boundaries off Shabnim—starting with a square drive through point, followed by a drive and a deft late cut past third man. Despite Harleen's barrage, Phoebe fell to Amelia, miscuing a shot to square leg.

Harleen reached her fluent half-century off just 32 balls with a slog sweep through square leg off Sanskriti Gupra, adding two more boundaries shortly thereafter. With Chloe also striking crucial boundaries, UPW successfully recorded their first victory this season.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians: 161/5 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 65, Amanjot Kaur 38; Shikha Pandey 1-25, Sophie Ecclestone 1-26) lost to UP Warriorz: 162/3 in 18.1 overs (Harleen Deol 64 not out, Chloe Tryon 27 not out; Nat Sciver-Brunt 2-28, Amelia Kerr 1-42) by seven wickets.