WPL 2026, Match 6: Harmanpreet's unbeaten 71 powers Mumbai Indians to their record chase

Match 6 of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 witnessed a scintillating clash between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Gujarat Giants (GG) at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday, January 13.

MI won the toss and decided to bowl first to utilise the dewy conditions in the second innings. Both the teams made one change each - MI brought in Hayley Matthews for sick Nat Sciver-Brunt and GG were compelled to replace injured Anushka Sharma with Ayushi Soni.

Shabnim Ismail started the proceedings for MI and the South African kept the Trans-Tasman pair of Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine completely quiet in the first over. But, the floodgates opened in the second over as Hayley Matthews conceded 18 runs. Ismail was again on target and the pressure from her brought about the wicket of the dangerous Devine (8 off 4).

Kanika Ahuja joined Mooney and the left-hand pair continued to score runs at a speedy pace, taking the team to the end of the powerplay with 62 runs on the board. Mooney (33 off 26) fell soon after as Amelia Kerr struck in the seventh over. Captain Ashleigh Gardner and Ahuja looked dangerous as well, but the girl with the golden arm for MI, Nicola Carey, conjured up a wicket to send back Gardner (20 off 11).

All-rounder Georgia Wareham joined Ahuja, but the left-hander became Matthews' victim after five balls. GG appeared to lose the momentum at this stage with the scoreboard reading 99/4 in 10.1 overs. Soni now joined Wareham, and though the runs were being added, the pace at which it was happening was slower than required.

As a result, the team management decided to retire out Soni (11 off 14). Notably, it was the first-ever instance of a batter being retired out in the WPL. Power-hitter Bharti Fulmali joined Wareham and the former proved the decision of the management right. The duo blasted 54 runs in the last four overs, taking the total to 192/5 in 20 overs. Ismail was the pick of the bowlers for MI with figures of 1/25.

Wicketkeeper-batter Gunalan Kamalini and Matthews opened the batting and just when the former looked good to prosper she was stumped off Renuka Singh in the third over for 13(12). Amanjot and Matthews (22 off 12) could not form a long and stable partnership as the West Indian skied a Kashvee Gautam delivery for Devine to grab it safely.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot took the team past the end of the powerplay without further damage (48/2). The pair stabilised the innings and went after the bowlers as overs 9-12 produced 49 runs. MI needed 84 runs from eight overs now and the momentum shifted in their favour.

But, Devine was brought on to the attack to create some of her magic and she did so as Amanjot (40 off 26) misread a slower ball. The partnership, which lasted 44 balls for 72 runs, came to an end with MI still a long way away. Carey joined Harmanpreet and the duo wasted no time to attack again.

A major turning point occurred in the 16th over in which Carey took Renuka apart, scoring 20 runs off it. The onslaught reduced the required run rate from 11.5 to 9.75 and eased the pressure on the batters. Harmanpreet reached her 10th WPL fifty off 33 balls in the next over and the pendulum swung very much in MI's favour.

The pair did not relent as the GG bowlers had no answers to the batting masterclass. The batters took the team home in the last over with four balls to spare as MI chased down their highest total. Notably, the partnership lasted 43 balls for 84 runs and it proved to be the decisive one.

Harmanpreet was adjudged as the Player of the Match. Incidentally, the 36-year-old also crossed the 1000-run mark in the competition during her innings.