Vadodara, Jan 31 (IANS) Gujarat Giants finally broke their eight-match losing streak against Mumbai Indians by registering their first-ever win over the defending champions to book their spot in 2026 WPL playoffs. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner said she was pretty pleased to enter the playoffs with the current bunch of players.

“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,” said Gardner in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Explaining the decision to bat first, Ashleigh said, “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. With Kaur out there at the end, we all know how damaging she can be, so we’re pleased to have got the win,” she said.

Ashleigh also praised her bowling unit and singled out Georgia Wareham’s contribution. “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,” she elaborated.

Mumbai skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who fought valiantly with an unbeaten 82, rued the lack of support from the other end. “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,” she said.

Reflecting on her mindset during the chase, Harmanpreet stated, “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.”

On MI’s fielding lapses, Harmanpreet admitted, “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.”

Harmanpreet also revealed her calculations in the tense final 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.”

Despite the setback, Harmanpreet remained optimistic about MI’s playoffs chances. “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.”

–IANS

nr/