🏏WPL 2025: Mumbai Indians Women vs Delhi Capitals Women, Final 🏏

Mumbai Indians Women vs Gujarat Giants Women, Eliminator

As now the strongest teams in the tournament are all set to face each other, the fans are eager to watch the ultimate showdown with fierce competition and utmost intense victory.

With both sides eager to qualify and set a crucial factor, this encounter is set to be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.

Led by Ashleigh Gardner, Giants have seized momentum with their batting unit finding form at the perfect time. Lately, their performances showcase they are ready to take on any opposition with no fear. Whereas, Indians led by Harmanpreet Kaur, boasting a daunting lineup of talents, continue their domination in every following match.

Key players like Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews have played crucial roles in delivering high-quality matches with both bat and the ball.

MI will be upset to be playing without too much rest. Their last three games have been on alternative days and their fielding has deteriorated with each fixture.

They've dropped a handful of catches, leaked runs in the field and look a very tired outfit. They are on the verge of a second Final though and will face a Gujarat side that has struggled against MI Women.

They are a lot more refreshed though and will be looking to make use of MI's fatigue with their Indian players stepping up well.

They are yet to beat the Mumbai Indians but happy news for them is that they qualified for the first time after finishing last in the previous two seasons.

The winner of the match will play Delhi Capitals in the final of WPL 2025 on March 15.

It doesn't get more David and Goliath than this. History, numbers, and the odds are skewed in Mumbai Indians' favour against Gujarat Giants come the WPL 2025 Eliminator on Thursday at the Brabourne Stadium.

One of the strongest teams in the competition, on paper and on field, MI have made it to the knockouts of each of the three editions so far. Each time they've finished second in the points table behind Delhi Capitals.

So, for a third straight time they're in a game as high-stakes as an Eliminator compared to GG, who've made it past the group stage for the first time. Unlike the first season, where Mumbai went on to clinch the title, it was a resurgent Royal Challengers Bengaluru that halted their match last season. This time, they're up against a similarly peaking-at-the-right-time Giants.

Incidentally, each of the three teams in the knockouts qualified nice and early with at least a game in hand each, and incidentally all three then went on to lose their respective final game of round-robin phase.

For GG, that game was against MI two nights ago at the same venue and they'd want to set the record straight in this re-match in their bid to make the title clash for the first time, where DC awaits - the team they beat comprehensively in its last league game.

MIW vs GGW Weather Report

Clear weather and a nice evening is expected for the game.

MIW vs GGW Pitch Report

Brabourne has been pretty good to bat on particularly in the second innings. Runs are coming well later on with some inital dryness allowing the ball to stop and turn. Batting second though continues to be the better option.

The Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai offers consistent bounce and a good pace that favours high-hitting games, making it ideal for scoring runs in the matches. The surface is likely to support the batters but can turn favourable to the bowlers later as the game progresses. The team winning the toss will opt to bat first.

Notably, these two sides have previously faced off against each other twice during the league stages, with Mumbai coming out victorious on both occasions.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side won five out of their eight group matches and finished second on the table. However, in their last league game against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women, they suffered a narrow 11-run defeat while chasing 200 runs.

Their opening combination was a bit of a musical chair with pace-bowling allrounder Kashvee Gautam, who was the latest to run away and join the circus, but the Giants' hand was forced by the lack of a solid opening stand.

Beth Mooney has had four different opening partners in eight games, and in each of the innings the first wicket has fallen inside the PowerPlay. However, despite Mooney's (231) own hot-and-cold season, she's led the batting charge alongside skipper Ash Gardner (235) and Harleen Deol (224).

Deol's match-winning 70* against DC failed to get her the batting promotion despite ample experimentation from the GG camp on that front, but in a do-or-die game, GG would know better than to be unconventionalists.

MI, on the other hand, may not have experimented as much but they did separate their most successful opening pair by demoting Yastika Bhatia down the order after a lean patch this season.

The move to open with Amelia Kerr hasn't clicked in the two games either though. Their batting remains heavily reliant on the Orange Cap holder Nat Sciver-Brunt (416) and their peerless skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (200) despite the 200+ run gap between their respective tallies.

It's on the bowling front that MI may enjoy a slight edge over GG in the knockout at the Brabourne where they spinners have enjoyed far more success, bagging 17 wickets in the two games as compared to the 8 that went to pace. With table-topping 14 wickets each, Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr have stepped up for MI who are missing a crucial cog of their setup in Pooja Vastrakar this season.

On the other hand, shouldering the responsbility for GG is Gautam (10 wickets) with potent swing-bowling and medium-pace of the experienced Deandra Dottin (9) with skipper Gardner not too far behind (8 wickets).

Over the years, the two teams have been involved in contests as lopsided as the first-ever game of the competition history in the DY Patil Stadium, and as thrilling as the come-from-behind chase in Delhi last year where Harmanpreet Kaur pulled off the impossible of 72 required in last-five.

Mumbai Indians have won each of the six games between the two sides across the three editions of the tournament so far, and GG would take the field on Thursday knowing there couldn't be a better time to flip that narrative for good.

MIW vs GGW Predicted Playing XI

MIW Playing XI

Hayley Mathews, Yastika Bhatia, Nat Sciver Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, Amelia Kerr, S Sajana, G Kamalini, Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Parunika Sisodia

GGW Playing XI

Beth Mooney, Kashvee Gautam, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Deandre Dottin, Bharti Fulmali, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar Meghna Singh, Priya Mishra

Team News

Mumbai Indians: Despite the loss to RCB a night ago, Mumbai are likely to stick with the same combination for the knockout game.

Probable XI: Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Sajeevan Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Parunika Sisodia

Gujarat Giants: They may be far from settling in on an opening combination, but have finally found their strongest XI on paper that covers all bases. Expect GG to go in unchanged - barring any injury concerns - from their last game.

Probable XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Kashvee Gautam, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Phoebe Litchfield, Deandra Dottin, Bharti Fulmali, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar, Meghna Singh, Priya Mishra

Did you know?

- MI's international spin duo of Amelia Kerr (13) and Hayley Matthews (11) have been a real thorn in the flesh for GG, accounting for 47% of the wickets MI bowlers have bagged against them in six games across seasons.

- Harmanpreet averages 44.6 against her GG counterpart Ash Gardner, having scored 223 runs against her at a strike-rate of 163.97 in 27 innings. The MI skipper averages 78.75 against GG overall with an unmatched tally of 315 runs, four half-centuries included in six outings.

- Sciver-Brunt (458) and Harmanpreet (406) are the leading run-scorers at the venue, followed closely by GG captain Gardner (387).

MIW vs GGW Key Players

Beth Mooney

Beth Mooney has been the only hope for Gujarat at the top of the order. Her opening partner has given little contribution all tournament with Harleen Deol at number three being a strong support. Mooney though will have to do the heavy lifting against the Mumbai bowlers who tend to start really well.

Probable Best Batter: Nat Sciver-Brunt

It is hard to bet against Nat Sciver-Brunt with the form that she is in. The 32-year-old is the leading run-getter in WPL 2025, having scored 416 runs from 8 matches at an average of 69.33 and a strike rate of 151.82. The last two times Brunt faced the Gujarat side, she registered scores of 57 and 38, respectively.

Probable best bowler: Amelia Kerr

Amelia Kerr has had a terrific season as she tops the wicket-taking charts. In 8 matches, she has bagged 14 wickets at an average of 16.71. The New Zealand spinner has been an important member of Mumbai's bowling attack. With the side aiming for their second WPL final, Kerr's performance will be critical.

Amanjot Kaur

Amanjot Kaur made the previous game all about her. She took wickets and came up with some crucial runs to show that she too can be a pretty handy all-round option. She's had injury concerns keeping her out of national contention but now the form is coming back and she will be believing again.

Today's Match Prediction: Team Batting first to win the match

Scenario 1

• Mumbai Indians Women win the toss and bat
• PP Score - 40-50
• MUM-W - 170-180
• Mumbai Indians Women win the match

Scenario 2

• Gujarat Giants Women win the toss and bat
• PP score - 50-60
• GJ-W- 160-170
• Gujarat Giants Women win the match