After Mumbai Indians marched into their second WPL final with a 47-run win over Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she was really happy with the way her team played in Thursday&rsquo;s clash at the Brabourne Stadium. 
On a fresh pitch, knocks of 77 each from Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt, along with a breathtaking 36 from captain Harmanpreet Kaur, took MI to a massive 213/4. In defence of the massive total, Hayley shined by picking 3-31, as GG were bowled out for 166 in 19.2 overs.
&ldquo;Feeling great, it was a great team effort, really happy with the way we played today. Before the game, I wanted to bat first. But then we decided to chase - whatever score is on the board, if you show that trust, you can chase.&rdquo; 
&ldquo;Whatever happened, happened for good, and Hayley and Nat did a good job, setting it up for us. They are great players, they know how to play these kinds of games. We don't need to tell them what they need to do. 
Really happy with how they took responsibility and batted for the team.&rdquo; &ldquo;Bowling-wise, we did well today. All the bowlers, they executed well, and these are the things we wanted to do. Next game is important and we need to again sit and think what went well for us,&rdquo; said Harmanpreet in the post-match presentation ceremony. 
Hayley, who was adjudged Player of the Match, said she had plans up her sleeve to give her best with both bat and ball. &ldquo;Think it was a really good game. you got a lot of value for your shots as a batter. We (Nat and me) worked hard to ease the pressure off of us. With the ball, I had my plans and tried to execute them as best as I could.&rdquo; 
&ldquo;One of those wickets where you were going to be able to put the ball away was trying to choose my areas and manipulated the field really well too. I tried to control just one side of the field and varied my pace - that is something we have been working on.&nbsp;We were in their step-hit zone quite a bit (when the last time we played them), lots of learnings from that, and glad I was able to execute (tonight).&rdquo; 
Asked about her plans for MI&rsquo;s second WPL final, Hayley remarked, &ldquo;Come back, do our homework on DC - they are a good team and a team that has gotten the better of us in the last two games. Come back, do our homework and then execute on the field.&rdquo; Nat, who is now the tournament&rsquo;s leading run-getter, said sticking to her strengths has been the key to her good showing with the bat. 
&ldquo;Not really sure what I have done differently, to be honest. We have played a lot of cricket up until now (away from this tournament). Wickets are good, outfields are quick - that plays into the batters' hands, I guess.&rdquo; 
&ldquo;I was a bit disappointed that I did not hit sixes before that. I guess my strengths are around hitting powerfully along the ground and that allows me to move the field around. Just make it as difficult for the bowlers to bowl at me. We would not have minded (what happened at the toss), we would have bowled as well.&rdquo; 
&ldquo;But to put runs on the board like that, in a pressure game, that is also a way to go about it. Losing the toss today sets us up nicely for a good match in the final, and we can take confidence from that. When you are playing pressure games, you want your more experienced players to stand up, and that went well for us today.&rdquo; 
She also acknowledged the support coming from head coach Charlotte Edwards. &ldquo;She has got great experience obviously, but the best thing is that she tries to make everyone feel comfortable - that has contributed to a great vibe around the group.&rdquo; 
Though the Gujarat Giants ended on the losing side and were out of reckoning for the final, captain Ashleigh Gardner chose to reflect on the positives from this season. &ldquo;This group has got a lot to be proud of - so many positive stories, different people have stood up at different times. An absolute pleasure to lead this side. Young players putting their name up in lights - that is what it is all about in tournaments like this.&rdquo; 
She admitted that losing Deandra Dottin to injury five minutes before the toss happened wasn&rsquo;t an ideal scenario, and Danielle Gibson got a WPL debut. &ldquo;Obviously not ideal to lose someone who has been such an important part of the team.&nbsp;Pretty much a like-for-like replacement (in Gibson).&rdquo; &ldquo;She (Gibson) was thrown into the deep end, but she is the kind of personality that takes it head-on. I hope Dottin is okay. She just hurt her knee, but I hope she is alright for the next series.&rdquo;
Quizzed on how she prepared the team for the knockout clash, Ashleigh revealed, &ldquo;I just said let's not get overawed by the occasion. This franchise has never been in the final, but let's just embrace it. Everyone was excited when we found out we qualified, but today, it was not to be. We did not do all three facets well enough. We missed opportunities with the ball&hellip;and with the bat, we were short.&rdquo; 
She signed off by expressing gratitude to fans for supporting the team well in WPL 2025. &ldquo;Hopefully, we are treading in the right direction. For our fans, who have backed us this season, it was nice to get some wins and play in front of the home crowd. Hopefully, we can keep growing on that. Just awesome to be involved in this franchise for three years and to see it grow exponentially.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&mdash;IANS

Harmanpreet celebrates as MI reaches WPL final

Hayley shines as MI thrashes Gujarat to reach final

MI Storm into WPL Final with 47-Run Win

Hayley shines as MI thrashes Gujarat to reach final

March 14, 2025 | 09:24 IST