Bengaluru, Feb 26 (IANS) Mumbai Indians romped to a comprehensive victory against UP Warriorz to go on top of the points table in the women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday. MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said whatever her team tried executing, it all came off well.
All-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt picked 3-18, her best WPL bowling figures, by using slower balls to great effect, as MI restricted UPW to a below-par 142/9. She then hit an unbeaten 75 off 44 balls, laced with 13 fours, to close the chase for MI with three balls to spare.
She found good support from Hayley Matthews, who chipped in with 59 off 50 balls, as the duo shared a match-winning 133-run partnership for the second wicket. With the ball, Nat found support from Shabnim Ismail and Sanskriti Gupta, who took two wickets each, while Hayley and Amelia Kerr had one scalp in their respective kitty. “Whatever we tried to execute came out well. Really happy with the result. Getting a wicket in the first over is really crucial. And Nat bowled really well. You just need to do the right thing again and again, and Sanskriti’s wickets turned it around.”
“She (Sanskriti) is really sorted and bowled really well. I think we have got a lot of experience on our side and everyone knows her role. She (Nat) batted really well and showed her talent. The pitch was looking different when she batted,” said Harmanpreet after the match ended.
Nat, who bagged her fourth WPL Player of the Match Award, reflected on her all-round heroics, giving MI their third straight win. “I guess so (on if she has hit a purple patch). Enjoying my batting at the moment. Feel good about myself. We always talk about the key players – she (Kiran Navgire) has played a couple of brilliant innings for UPW.”
“We put our plans in place. It’s great when it comes off. On another day, she might’ve hit it in the stands. The fight that we have in our group is brilliant. On a given day, anyone can put in a match-winning performance.”
Hayley further talked about her coming back to form and finding good support from Nat in Wednesday’s match. “Personally, it was a bit choppy. Having Nat at the other end, I tried to play a role and support her as best as I could. Looking at the scenario and what the team needs, I tried to put the team first.”
“It (pitch) was a bit slow. I am a bit of a backfoot player; I found it a bit easier playing there and struggled a bit on the front foot. She (Nat) has been great through the entire season so far, with four big scores in four matches. She has been so consistent and the pillar of this team. Lots of confidence having her on our side and how easy she makes it look in the middle.”
UP Warriorz signed off from their Bengaluru leg of WPL 2025 with a loss, and captain Deepti Sharma lamented losing wickets in heaps.
“We lost back-to-back wickets. Had we built partnerships, we could have posted 160-170. Grace Harris was given a role in the power-play, and she played that well. We will come back stronger. We will have takeaways from this game, continue the good work, and work on building partnerships.”
–IANS
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