Mumbai Indians Women will face Gujarat Giants in match no. 16 of the ongoing Women's Premier League 2024 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday. The Giants are currently at the bottom of the points table and desperately need to win this match to remain in the race to finish in the top three. (Full Coverage | Schedule And Points Table)
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians Women gained the second spot in the points table after thrashing UP Warriorz by 42 runs in a bowling-dominated game. The speedster Shabnim Ismail is in the best of her form and her spell of 4-0-6-1 against UP was the key factor in the match.
Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr played crucial innings in Mumbai's win over UP on Thursday. The Giants, on the other hand, managed their first win of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore after beating them by 19 runs in a run-fest in the second Delhi-leg match on Wednesday.
Mumbai Indians Women vs Gujarat Giants Squads:
Mumbai Indians Women: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur, S Sajana, Humaira Kazi, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque, Jintimani Kalita, Priyanka Bala, Amandeep Kaur, Issy Wong, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Fatima Jaffer, Chloe Tryon
Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (c & wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Veda Krishnamurthy, Dayalan Hemalatha, Ashleigh Gardner, Kathryn Bryce, Tanuja Kanwar, Meghna Singh, Mannat Kashyap, Shabnam Md Shakil, Tarannum Pathan, Sayali Satghare, Lea Tahuhu, Sneh Rana, Harleen Deol, Priya Mishra, Trisha Poojitha
As both teams are ready to clash in the epic encounter on Friday, there are three key player battles from the teams that are worth looking out for:
1. Beth Mooney vs Shabnim Ismail
The Gujarat Giants captain and opener batter Beth Mooney finally came back to form in the last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and made a gritty 85 not out off 51 balls to post a 199-run total on the board. MI's Shabnim Ismail is also in the form of her career and has bowled the fastest delivery in women's cricket ever (132.1 kph) in the match against Delhi Capitals. She can create some problems for the technically sound veteran southpaw and it will be crucial to see how Mooney plays her.
2. Nat Sciver-Brunt vs Meghna Singh
Mumbai Indians' Nat Sciver-Brunt was the player of the match in the game against UP Warriorz for her all-round performance. She is an able fast bowler and can bat at no. 3 or 4 according to the team's requirements. The fast bowler Meghna Singh bowls in the powerplay and death overs and her face-off with Sciver-Brunt is possible. The veteran English all-rounder can take charge against Meghna's inexperienced bowling but her raw pace can also make it tough for Mumbai batter.
3. Laura Wolvaardt vs Amelia Kerr
Laura Wolvaardt was involved in a 140-run partnership with Beth Mooney for the first wicket and played a thumping knock of 76 runs off 45 balls in providing Gujarat Giants their first win of the season against RCB on Wednesday. The opener batter may face some problems against Amelia Kerr, who struck four wickets the last time these two teams played in Bengaluru. The right-arm leg-break is a handy bowler for Harmanpreet Kaur and she knows how to use her. Wolvaardt might try to go after her and the contest between the two seasoned players will be a treat to the eyes.
