Legendary Indian cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur entered her name in the history books on Tuesday (January 14) by becoming the first cricketer in the world to score 10 half-centuries in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). The 36-year-old right-handed batter Harmanpreet Kaur from Moga, who was retained by Mumbai Indians for Rs 2.50 crore ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auctions, scored 71 runs from just 43 balls for MI on Tuesday against Gujarat Giants in the 193-run chase and led them to 7-wicket win.
During her stay at the crease against the Ahmedabad-based franchise, Harmanpreet Kaur slammed 7 fours and 2 sixes and helped MI chase down their highest total in WPL history.Harmanpreet Kaur has 10 half-centuries to her credit in 30 WPL matches played so far. Her MI teammate Nat Sciver-Brunt and UP Warrriorz skipper Meg Lanning are joint-second with nine fifties each.
Harmanpreet Kaur reached the 50-run mark by taking a single on the second ball of the 17th over of MI innings bowled by Kashvee Gautam. She needed 33 balls to complete her second fifty in WPL 2026.In MI’s second match of WPL 2026, which was played against Delhi Capitals in Navi Mumbai on Saturday (January 10), she remained unbeaten on 74 runs from 42 balls.
After scoring her 10th fifty in WPL, Harmanpreet Kaur also became the first Indian and second batter overall to score 1000 runs in WPL. Harmanpreet Kaur needed 55 runs in the WPL 2026 match against Gujarat Giants to join the 1000-run club, and she achieved the objective during the 18th over of MI’s innings in the 193-run chase. Harmanpreet Kaur was batting on 54 when she slammed Rajeshwari Gayakwad for a four on the fifth ball to take her tally of runs to 1003.
Before her, only Nat Sciver-Brunt of the Mumbai Indians had managed to score 1000 runs in the WPL.Harmanpreet Kaur is also the first captain in WPL history to score 1000 runs. She is followed by Meg Lanning. Meg Lanning has played 29 WPL matches as captain so far for Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz and scored 996 runs.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians have picked up their second victory of the WPL 2026 by thrashing Gujarat Giants by 7 wickets on Tuesday at the D.Y. Patil Stadium.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : It’s Match Number 6 here at the fourth season of the Women’s Premier League. We’re out on Pitch Number Four. There was a previous double-header played here, and in terms of the dimensions: straight down the ground it’s 66 metres, to my right it’s 53 metres, and to my left, 58 metres. This pitch looks really good. It’s a red-soil surface, which means there will be a bit of bounce as well, and batters will be able to play freely and play their shots.
However, during the earlier double-header, we did see a little bit of deviation off the surface for the fast bowlers. We saw Carey use that really well – she used the seam to good effect and managed to jag the ball both ways, which caused some problems for the batters. She picked up wickets and did exactly what needs to be done on a surface like this. The spinners could find it challenging here. On one side, the boundaries are shorter, and there are batters who can really go big on both sides of the wicket.
So it’s going to be a testing evening for the spinners, but I’m sure we’re in for a very good contest. This is a good batting surface. Both sides are strong and have quality batters in their line-ups, so you can expect a score of at least around 180 here. – reckons Stacy-Ann King and WV Raman.
Toss : MI Women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss for the third time and chose to bowl with Hayley Matthews in the Playing XI for ill Nat Sciver Brunt. GG skipper Women Ashleigh Gardner bating first handed debut to Ayushi Soni in place of injured Anushka Sharma in the Playing XI.
Georgia Wareham’s 43* and Bharati Fulmali’s fiesty 30* powers GG to 192 for 5 in 20 overs
Asked to bat first, Giants delivered again with the willow and this time they didn’t rely on Sophie Devine or any individual contribution for that matter. MI had a setback in the very first over when their ‘keeper G Kamalini dropped a regulation catch to offer Beth Mooney a reprieve. The Australian made it count by fetching a couple of boundaries in the next over which was followed by two more from the bat of Devine.
Giants began briskly after being put in, with Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney taking on the returning Hayley Matthews for four boundaries in the second over. Devine got an early reprieve, when Shabnim Ismail induced an edge in the opening over and wicketkeeper G Kamalini put down the chance. The miss proved inconsequential as Ismail struck again in the third over, this time having Devine nick behind for 8, with Kamalini holding on.
However, Shabnim Ismail’s disappointment in the first over turned into ecstasy in her second when the ‘keeper made amends with a fine catch to get rid of the big fish Devine. Kanika Ahuja then came out all guns blazing to race to 15 off 6 before Mooney rounded off the powerplay in great fashion.
With Anushka Sharma sidelined through injury, Kanika Ahuja was promoted to No. 3. She ensured the momentum did not dip, getting off the mark with a powerful drive through the covers, and combining with Mooney to inflict damage. After Mooney’s departure, she continued the same alongside Ash Gardner. The pair carried Giants to 99 for 3 at the end of 10th over. Gardner fell in the 10th over and Ahuja followed in the 11th, but Giants had laid a solid platform by then.
Following the timeout, Amelia Kerr gave MI a much-needed breakthrough by removing Mooney but the runs continued to flow. In what appeared to be the theme throughout the innings, almost every GG batter got off to a start, made a significant contribution before departing without notching up a big score. Ashleigh Gardner’s mini cameo was ended by Nicola Carey and Hayley Matthews, who had come in for the unwell Nat Sciver-Brunt, sent back Ahuja in the very next over.
While Georgia Wareham kept the scorecard ticking, Ayushi Soni struggled to get going, Coming in as a replacement for the injured Anushka Sharma, Soni became the first batter in WPL to be retired out after managing only 11 off 14 as the Giants desperately sought a big finish. And they got that in the form of Bharti Fulmali who went berserk in the final two overs. Taking down Carey for a couple of fours and a six, Fulmali then rattled Amanjot Kaur in the final over by smashing two sixes off the final three deliveries to give Giants all the momentum.
MI clawed their way back into the contest after Ahuja’s dismissal. Ayushi Soni, brought in for Anushka, struggled to find fluency, while her partner Georgia Wareham continued to find the gaps regularly. Soni was on 7 off 10 balls at the end of the 16th over when she retired out, becoming the first player in WPL to do so. The move paved the way for Bharti Fulmali, who ensured it paid dividends.
Fulmali survived two lbw appeals in the 17th over from Amanjot, both overturned in her favour. She then launched a late onslaught, taking on Carey with two fours and a six in the 19th, before going even harder in the final over. Fulmali smashed two fours and two sixes off Amanjot as Giants plundered 39 runs across the last two overs, finishing on 192 for 5 in 20 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s masterclass 71* seals Mumbai Indians’ record-breaking 7-wicket win over Gujarat Giants
Hayley Matthews returned to the top of the order after missing the first two matches with injury. Despite losing her opening partner Kamalini in the third over, she ensured MI made a positive start. However, her stay was short-lived, ending on 22 off 12 balls. That dismissal brought Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot together, and the pair began to rebuild.
In reply, the Giants once again nudged ahead by the end of the powerplay. G Kamalini failed to connect while attempting a drive against Renuka Singh Thakur and found herself out of her crease to get stumped and Matthews despite showing early promise got a top edge and departed for a 12-ball 22. By the end of the powerplay, MI were 48/2 with hopes resting once again on skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
Amanjot soon found her rhythm, unfurling a flurry of boundaries against Wareham and Tanuja Kanwar, while Harmanpreet ticked along at better than run-a-ball through the first 10 overs. Once set, Amanjot shifted gears, taking on Renuka Singh and Gardner with a series of cleanly struck sixes. The breakthrough for Giants came through Devine, whose slower ball accounted for Amanjot and ended a 72-run partnership.
The skipper pulled Wareham to the midwicket fence for her first boundary of the evening and took on her again after the timeout. However, Harmanpreet Kaur took a backseat immediately as Amanjot took centerstage. She hit back-to-back boundaries in successive overs and when Renuka came back into the attack, the duo took her to the cleaners as well to force a shift in momentum.
The onslaught forced more bowling changes as Harmanpreet Kaur smashed Gardner for her second six of the innings before Devine finally broke the stand when Amanjot failed in her attempt to clear the fielder at long on.Harmanpreet Kaur , though, remained unfazed and continued to dictate terms, with Carey joining her at a stage when MI required 84 off 48 balls.
Carey swung the momentum decisively in the 16th over, hammering five boundaries off Renuka, who continued to struggle for accuracy. The over slashed the equation to 39 needed off 24 balls. Harmanpreet Kaur soon brought up her half-century off 33 deliveries, and Giants compounded their woes with a series of fielding lapses, putting down three chances of her.
Harmanpreet Kaur continued to surge ahead and bring up a half-century but it was an over from Renuka that totally changed the complexion of the chase. Carey, who couldn’t put spin away, targeted Renuka for four boundaries in an over and one more delivery brushed her pads before racing to the ropes which meant the batting side eventually fetched 20 runs in the space of six deliveries.
Giants didn’t help their cause when Fulmali failed to latch on to a chance offered by Harmanpreet. The skipper rubbed salt into the opposition’s wounds by smashing two more fours in the same over to bring her side closer. Much to the bowling side’s frustration, another chance went down in the penultimate over before Harmanpreet Kaur put an end to their misery with four balls remaining.
Harmanpreet Kaur made them pay, pouncing on the width offered by wayward bowling to keep the chase firmly on track. With four needed off five balls, she sealed the contest by hitting a boundary, through the gap between deep square leg and deep midwicket to secure a record win by 7 wickets.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Ashleigh Gardner the losing GG Women skipper said : I think it’s obviously pretty cliche, but catches sometimes win matches. I think what we prided ourselves on in the first two games was how we fielded, and tonight you just can’t afford to drop chances, especially against some of the best players in the world. Unfortunately for us, we’ve played three really tight games, and tonight we’re on the losing side, which is disappointing.
I mean, if you look at the stats, I probably don’t match up overly well against Harmanpreet. She’s probably had the better of me over my international career. As a captain, sometimes you do have a tendency to underutilise yourself. I had about eight bowling options, so at the time I felt there were better match-ups than myself. That said, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Maybe I was the better option, but I can say that standing here after a loss. If we’d won, I probably would’ve made all the right bowling choices. So yes, I could have bowled more overs, but I also felt I wasn’t the right match-up at that point. I think the best thing about our side is the amount of firepower we have in the middle. Fulmali in particular, we’ve seen what she’s been able to do in domestic cricket.
She sets up her innings really well and is then able to clear the boundaries at the back end. We also know what Webb is capable of. So for them, it’s really pleasing that they can finish innings strongly. I felt like 193 was a winning target, but like I said earlier, when you don’t take your chances, you tend to pay for it. After our batting innings, I went straight up to her (Ayushi Soni) and told her that it was a team decision.
She nodded her head, but I’m sure she was extremely disappointed. At that moment, we needed boundaries regularly. We wanted someone who could run well between the wickets and then clear the ropes at the end. It’s obviously really tough for her. It was her first game in the WPL, and there would’ve been nerves. But she made the team play. I thought we finished the innings really well. It just wasn’t our night tonight.
Harmanpreet Kaur the winning MI – Women skipper and Player of the Match for her solid 71* runs said : Â It was a good game. I think while bowling, we gave away too many runs. Again, we need to sit down and discuss our plans. But batting-wise, we were good. We calculated it well. Amanjot and I, while batting together, calculated things nicely. She batted beautifully, and in the end, Nicola Carey came in and took all the pressure off me.
So overall, it was a good game for us. I feel nowadays scores like this are becoming normal. If you’re batting first, you have to score close to 200. And if you’re chasing, you have to chase these kinds of totals as well. So that mindset is there. Whenever you go out, you have to bat for your team. That clarity helps. You understand what the team requires, you calculate accordingly, and then you just go and execute.
When you have that much clarity, things become easier. That’s a tough question. I didn’t actually know that stat (5 fifties vs Gujarat), but for me, every match is important. I just want to go out there and bat for my team. Whatever comes, I’ll take it. It’s really good to see all these girls taking responsibility and doing their bit for the team. Whenever we have discussions, they’re always ready to do whatever the team needs.
Amanjot is someone who’s ready to bat anywhere – opening, one down, or lower down the order. It all comes down to preparation. When you’re preparing at home, you prepare for the team. It’s great to see that wherever the team needs them, they’re ready.
Harmanpreet Kaur capitalised on Gujarat Giants’ erratic fielding to help Mumbai Indians extend their perfect head-to-head record to 8-0. Giants, who came into this game on the back of impressive batting displays in the tournament, put up 192/5 and appeared to be ahead of the game at some points in the second half before offering repeated reprieves to the opposition skipper who made them pay and eventually guide MI to their highest run chase ever in WPL history.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 71 off 43 balls powered Mumbai Indians (MI) to a seven-wicket win over Gujarat Giants, as they chased down 193, the second-highest successful chase in WPL history.
Harmanpreet Kaur paced the chase to near perfection, finding support from Amanjot Kaur and Nicola Carey, as MI extended their perfect head-to-head record against Giants to 8-0. MI also maintained their remarkable streak of never losing a WPL match when Harmanpreet Kaur scores a fifty, this being the 10th such instance.
What a thrilling contest it turned out to be. Earlier in the day, a late burst from Fulmali, along with useful contributions from Ahuja, Mooney and Wareham, lifted Gujarat Giants to another imposing total of 190-plus. In reply, Mumbai Indians lost Kamalini early, but Hayley Matthews provided early momentum with a brisk start before she departed.
The chase steadied through a crucial third-wicket stand as Amanjot and Harmanpreet Kaur added 72 valuable runs. Sophie Devine broke that partnership in the 13th over, removing Amanjot at a key moment. Nicola Carey followed next and after a cautious beginning, found her rhythm with a few timely boundaries.
At the other end, Harmanpreet Kaur anchored the innings with a true captain’s knock, bringing up a fluent fifty and keeping MI firmly in the hunt. Harmanpreet Kaur was given a few chances by the fielders and she made Gujarat Giants pay for those mistakes, steering MI Women home in the final over. Harmanpreet Kaur was adjudged the player of the match for her unbeaten 71 off 43 deliveries. Kaur also made individual history with that knock. She completed 1000 WPL runs.
Thus, after failing to win the opening encounter against Royal Challengers Benagluru, which they also could have won if it was not for Nadine de Klerk’s exceptional knock, the Mumbai Indians have gained the winning momentum once again by winning two matches in a row. They look like a force to be reckoned with and may again reach the latter stage of the tournament.
Mumbai Indians will next face UP Warriorz on Thursday, January 15. As for the Gujarat Giants, they will next take on RCB on Friday, January 16.
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