Cricket WPL 2026

WPL 2026 : Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 82* in vain as all round effort from Georgia Wareham and Ashleigh Gardner powers GG to the Eliminator with a 11 runs win

February 2, 2026
Anup Konnur

Georgia Wareham delivered an outstanding all-round performance, leading Gujarat Giants to a long-awaited victory over Mumbai Indians by 11 runs to secure their spot in the Women’s Premier League Eliminator on Friday. Georgia Wareham’s crucial contributions with both bat and ball were instrumental in Gujarat’s first-ever win against Mumbai after eight consecutive defeats.

Coming in during a challenging phase with Gujarat struggling in the middle overs, Georgia Wareham displayed remarkable clarity and composure. She scored a fluent 44 off 26 balls, timing her shots perfectly and effortlessly finding gaps. Together with captain Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham formed a pivotal 71-run partnership that shifted the momentum of the innings.

The duo rescued Gujarat from a mid-innings slump, lifting the team to a competitive total of 167 for 4 after opting to bat. Gardner provided powerful hitting with a counter-attacking 46 off 28 balls, while Georgia Wareham’s steady strokeplay ensured the momentum remained high.

Georgia Wareham’s impact with the ball was equally significant. Bowling tightly in the middle overs, Georgia Wareham recorded impressive figures of 2 for 26, disrupting Mumbai’s chase at critical moments. She dismissed Amelia Kerr and Sanskriti Gupta, applying pressure and forcing Mumbai onto the back foot. Her spell kept Gujarat in control even as Harmanpreet Kaur staged a spirited fightback.

Pitch Report and Toss

Pitch Report : “So the penultimate match of the group stages and we’re back on Pitch 4. Now this is the fourth time that this surface has been used. And over the course of time, these pitches have got gradually better. They were watered yesterday, they’ve held together nicely, still looks pretty good. As for the dimensions, when bowling from the media centre end to my left-hand side is the long boundary, 59 metres, you’ve got to protect to the right because that’s 51 metres and it’s a 68-metre hit down the ground. Well, the first difference is the make of the soil.

Navi Mumbai was red soil, there was a good bounce. So the batters were able to access square of the wicket using that pace and the bounce. Whereas here, it’s a black soil make where it is, you can see that the cracks now is far more closer, that means it retains water. That makes the wicket a little slower and low in bounce. So the best way to get your value for your shots in this venue for the batters is to play more in front, more wider V that you can access, nothing across the line because if you play across the line for a low bounce, there is more possibility you might get bowled or LBW.

Go down the feet, bowlers, keep these in play. We’ve seen too much width, batters love that. 174 and 178 have been winning scores on this surface and we reckon around about that might be the winning score tonight,” reckons Charles Dagnall and Mithali Raj in her pitch report.

Toss : GG Women skipper Ashleigh Gardner won the toss and chose to bat with no change in the Playing XI. MI Women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur bowling first also made no changes in the Playing XI.

Solid batting from Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham powers GG Women to 167 for 4 in 20 overs

With a victory assuring a place in the next round up for grabs for both teams, Giants opted to bat first. But a testing spell from Shabnim Ismail and Nat Sciver-Brunt upfront had kept Giants in check. Beth Mooney departed cheaply, but a few extras ensured that Mumbai Indians didn’t entirely seize the early momentum. Moreover, Sophie Devine and Anushka Sharma were quick to take the attack to the young Vaishnavi Sharma in the powerplay.
Giants brought up their half-century mid-way through the seventh over, but could never really push the accelerator, going at seven-an-over till the ninth over before Anushka lofted Amelia Kerr over long-off for a six. The veteran leggie, however, had the last laugh, and had Anushka miscuing her googly to long on off the next delivery. Devine fell in the next over, slogsweeping to Sciver-Brunt deep midwicket.While GG seemed to back a method that has worked for them this season, their toss decision was fraught with risk, especially after Beth Mooney fell cheaply. Sophie Devine and Anushka Sharma looked solid but couldn’t really force the pace until the final over of the powerplay, in which they scored 12 off Vaishnavi Sharma. Despite not picking up wickets regularly, MI had the innings under control: GG scored in double-digits in only two of the first 11 overs. When Devine and Anushka fell in successive overs, GG had to rebuild with only 45% of their overs left.Gardner and Georgia Wareham hit at least one four in each of the first three overs of their partnership. The switch was truly flicked when Georgia Wareham danced down to Amelia Kerr and launched her over the sightscreen in the 15th over. Gardner then hit Hayley Matthews for 6, 4, 4, 4 in the 16th, and both batters hit two fours each in the 17th, Shabnim Ismail’s final over. Gardner was soon stumped off Kerr but Wareham kept the big hits coming, finishing on 44 not out off 26 as GG scored 61 in their last five overs.

The entire innings had a bit of pull and push till the 88th delivery, when Giants brought up their 100. However, by then, with Ash Gardner and Georgia Wareham settled in and pressed the accelerator. Three boundaries and two sixes followed off the next six deliveries, with the region from mid wicket to fine leg finding heavy traffic.
The duo didn’t hold back even against Ismail in the pacer’s last over, carting her for two boundaries each. Nonetheless, Mumbai Indians managed to pull back the momentum in the death overs and restrict Giants to 167 for 4.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 82* in vain as all round effort from Georgia Wareham and Ashleigh Gardner powers GG to the Eliminator with a 11 runs win

Giants’s new-ball attack of Renuka Thakur and Kashvee Gautam probed Mumbai Indians’ openers early on, not allowing them to break free. Sophie Devine added to their woes, dismissing the dangerous Hayley Matthews and Sciver-Brunt in successive overs to leave the defending champions reeling at 37 for 3 in the seventh over.
With the effect of the new ball wearing off, the onus was on Harmanpreet and Kerr to rebuild the innings through the middle phase. Harmanpreet, who was teased to attack the offside boundary on the longer side, was comfortably rocking back and cutting a flurry of fours off the spinners. Kerr struggled for similar momentum in her innings, and was eventually caught behind while attempting to cut a legbreak from  Georgia Wareham.Devine struck in each of her first two overs while Kashvee Gautam picked up a wicket in between, as MI lost their top three inside seven overs. Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr then used the cut superbly to pierce the gap between backward point and short third multiple times, putting on 45 off 30 for the fourth wicket. But once Georgia Wareham had Kerr caught behind, MI’s ask became steep. Not nearly as difficult, however, as the situation Harmanpreet had mastered in 2024.With MI’s lower-order not having been tested enough this season, Harmanpreet and Amanjot were tasked with scripting a famous run-chase. They measured their attack, and even as a boundary was scored off each of the following overs, the scoring rate had largely been controlled by Giants.

With GG going spin-heavy, Harmanpreet began finding the boundary regularly. She particularly targeted the shorter leg-side boundary (51m vs 59m) against Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s left-arm spin, hitting her for two sixes and a four in the space of seven balls spread across two overs.

With 58 needed off the last four overs, the MI skipper broke free. She carted Rajeshwari Gayakwad for a boundary and a six to raise her half-century. Amanjot attempted to continue the carnage. However, after lofting the spinner for a boundary, she was out stumped. Soon enough, Georgia Wareham trapped Sanskriti Gupta legbefore and reduced MI to 127 for 6 in the 18th over.
Devine took over the task of bowling the penultimate over, and despite conceding two boundaries, had squeezed MI into a situation where they needed 26 off the final over. Despite having the services of Renuka and Kashvee, Gardner opted to bowl the final over.But GG clawed back, with Gayakwad getting Amanjot Kaur stumped and Georgia Wareham trapping Sanskriti Gupta for a first-ball duck. Harmanpreet ended the night with the Orange Cap on her head, but it was the team in orange that progressed to the next round.
It was a risky proposition, even if Harmanpreet had to clear the longer side of the boundary on the leg side. One swing sailed over the ropes. The second one, she missed. The third darted away from her, was comfortably hoisted over the boundary again, bringing the equation down to 14 from 3. Harmanpreet swung again, but could only take a single and end MI’s hopes. Gardner completed the formalities and sealed her team’s passage to the next round.

Presentations and Road Ahead

Harmanpreet Kaur the losing MI-Women skipper said : For the first six overs, we weren’t able to execute our batting plans. Unfortunately, we lost an early wicket and couldn’t score enough runs. We were hoping to build two solid partnerships, but sadly today we didn’t have any impactful ones. (her feeling at the halfway stage of the chase) I kept telling myself that I had to keep batting. At the other end, I was definitely looking for support, but unfortunately today no one was able to provide that.

These things happen in games where there’s a lot of pressure. Sometimes the team isn’t able to execute the plans. Overall though, it was a good game. (about sloppy fielding) Yes, while fielding we did miss a few chances. I think we gave away around 16-17 extra runs, and that cost us. Still, we have a very good batting side. If there had been even one partnership with me, I think it could have changed the scenario.

We tried our level best, but unfortunately we couldn’t win the game. (her thinking in the last couple of overs) I was calculating how many sixes we needed. At that point, I think it was around seven or eight. I was thinking that if I could face more balls and hit those sixes, it could change the game for us. But they executed their plans really well. We knew what they were going to bowl, and I understood their strategy, but full credit to their bowling unit – they bowled very well.

(they are not out of the tournament yet) Yes, I like to focus on things that are in my control. If things go our way, we’ll be very happy. The good thing is that the tournament is still on. Let’s see what happens tomorrow. Today was something we wanted to focus on more, but unfortunately we couldn’t do what we had planned.

Ashleigh Gardner the winning GG-Women skipper said : (her feeling on finally winning against MI) Yeah, obviously really happy with that performance. We knew this game was almost like a quarterfinal to make the playoffs, so there was a lot riding on it. There were plenty of positives to take. Like you said, the stats told one story, but we knew today was a new game. We’d played some really good cricket against them earlier and just couldn’t get over the line.

We believed what we were doing would work – we just needed to sustain it for longer. To be going into the playoffs with this group of players is really pleasing. (why batting first) I think it was a bit of both. We’ve won all our games batting first, so there’s confidence in that. If you look at our batting lineup, we want to take the game on in the powerplay and really set things up early, knowing we’ve got firepower through the middle and late order.

If we can maximise those phases, it puts us in a strong position. I still think we could’ve pushed the total a bit more, if I’m being critical. But the bowlers did a fantastic job – taking wickets in clumps really stalls the run rate. And with Kaur out there at the end, we all know how damaging she can be, so we’re pleased to have got the win. (assessment for the bowling group) A bit of both. We saw that variation was key – the spinners played a big role, especially when the pace was taken off.

Early on, the ball was gripping and turning, but once the dew sets in, it tends to skid on. We always talk about keeping the stumps in play for as long as possible. It sounds cliche, but on a black-soil wicket like this, the ball can shoot through and stay low. You want all modes of dismissal in play rather than bowling wide and letting batters settle. So for us, it was about keeping the plan really simple and executing it well.

We know the world-class player Georgia is. We’ve seen it in the Big Bash back home, where she led from the front for the Renegades with both bat and ball. I’ve played a lot of cricket with her for Australia, so we know her capabilities.

It’s about giving her the best opportunity to play the role we want her to play – coming in through the middle, taking the game away from the bowlers. And she’s one of the best leg-spinners in the world, so giving her the freedom to attack and take wickets in that middle phase was key. She did that brilliantly today.

Georgia Wareham Player of the Match for her all round performance 44 runs with the bat and 2 wickets with the ball said : Yeah, it was really nice to have an impact today with both bat and ball. I probably let myself down a little in both aspects during the first part of the season. So to contribute to a win tonight, I’m really happy with that. (how did she assess the conditions) I think what we’ve seen is that giving yourself a few balls to get going has been really important.

Just allowing yourself that time to settle in. That’s what I tried to do today – give myself a few extra balls, get used to the pace, and then build from there. I think that’s been the trend across games here at Vadodara. (does batting help her bowling) I think batting definitely helps. Having a good understanding of how the conditions are playing makes a big difference.

We’ve been pretty good batting first and then defending with the ball, so by the time I get the ball after the powerplay, I’ve got a fairly clear idea of what to expect. That said, our plans don’t change too much – we try to hit the stumps as much as possible and keep all modes of dismissal in play.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s blazing 48-ball 82* went in vain as Gujarat Giants clinched an 11-run win at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi on Friday – their first-ever victory in nine Women’s Premier League encounters against Mumbai Indians – to secure a place in the Eliminator of WPL 2026.

Gujarat Giants (GG) don’t enjoy the routine. On a day when they became the first team in 41 WPL games to bat after winning the toss, they went on to reverse another trend – of not having beaten Mumbai Indians (MI) in eight previous meetings. With their fifth win of WPL 2026, all of which have come while defending totals, GG qualified for the Eliminator for a second season in a row.

It did not come easy. Harmanpreet Kaur threatened to do what she did to GG in 2024 with a playoffs spot on the line. With MI needing 58 off 24 balls, she all but single-handedly brought them within reach of victory, hitting three fours and three sixes – twice clearing the rope off Ashleigh Gardner in the final over – to bring the equation down to 14 off 3. But Gardner kept her calm and closed out the over to seal GG’s first-ever win over the two-time champions.

It was a fitting end, because Gardner had been a catalyst in GG’s strong finish earlier in the evening. She scored 46 off 28 balls, and added 71 off 43 with Georgia Wareham to take GG to 167, a total that had looked distant for much of their innings.

Another entertaining clash in WPL 2026. Gujarat Giants made the most of their decision to bat, posting a strong 167/4 with positive intent throughout the innings. Georgia Wareham and Ashleigh Gardner anchored the effort with timely contributions, lifting the Giants comfortably past the 165-run mark. Mumbai Indians’ chase, however, got off to a shaky start as early wickets left them reeling at 37/3 inside 7 overs.

Just as the contest threatened to slip away, Harmanpreet Kaur and Amelia Kerr combined to steady the ship with a vital partnership. Georgia Wareham’s breakthrough to dismiss Kerr in the 12th over stalled the momentum, but Harmanpreet stood firm, battling until the very end to ensure a close encounter. The Gujarat Giants players look happy as they thank the crowd by waving at them near the sidelines.

Mumbai Indians will now have to wait on the result of the contest between Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz on Sunday. If Capitals win, it will be the first time that the Harmanpreet-led side will be knocked out in the group stage. If Warriorz win, MI will have the chance of going through on a superior Net Run Rate.It is not yet curtains for MI, though. They will now hope for a UP Warriorz win over Delhi Capitals in the last league fixture on Sunday, with net run rate coming into play.

Also Read: ENG vs IND : Shubman Gill Appointed Test Skipper For Red Ball

 

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