Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians : Women’s cricket in India is set to take a huge leap forward with the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023, which began on Saturday, February 25th. The first match featured the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, which was filled to capacity for the occasion.
The Women’s T20 Challenge has started with a bang as the inaugural match of WPL 2023 saw the Mumbai Indians taking on the Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. The Mumbai Indians made a strong statement with a commanding victory over the Gujarat Giants.
The WPL is a potentially watershed moment for women’s cricket, with the clamor for a full-fledged womenโs league growing even though the Womenโs T20 Challenge ran as a three-team sideshow to the menโs Indian Premier League between 2018-22. The sale of WPLโs five franchises and media rights alone fetched nearly $690 million, and the Indian cricket board has lined up an impressive array of sponsors for the 22-match tournament.
Here is a summary of what happened in the first match of the WPL 2023 : Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians
- The Gujarat Giants won the toss and opted to bowl first against the Mumbai Indians.
- Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur, Yastika Bhatia, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Mathews, Pooja Vastrakar, Issy Wong, Humaira Kaazi, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque.
- Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (w/c), Sabbhineni Meghana, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Dayalan Hemalatha, Georgia Wareham, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, Monica Patel, Mansi Joshi.
- Beth Mooney, the Gujarat Giants captain, won the toss and chose to bowl first.
- Ashleigh Gardner opened the bowling for Gujarat Giants, and she started well with four dot balls in a row. Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews scored a single and a boundary, respectively, to take the score to 2/0 after the first over.
- Hayley Matthews hit the first six of the WPL with a pull shot over square leg off Mansi Joshi in the second over.
- Mumbai Indians lost their first wicket in the third over when Tanuja Kanwar removed Yastika Bhatia early in her first WPL over.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt hit a cracking shot for four in the fourth over.
- Gujarat Giants made a strong start in their bowling innings, with their bowlers keeping the pressure on the Mumbai Indians batswomen. Mumbai were 22/1 after four overs.
- Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored the first half-century of the tournament with a blitzkrieg innings of 65 runs from just 30 balls. Her innings was studded with 14 fours as she took the Gujarat Giants bowlers to the cleaners.
- Saika Ishaque was the star with the ball for the Mumbai Indians as she picked up four wickets for just 11 runs in three overs. Ishaque was on fire as she bowled a tight line and length to trouble the Gujarat Giants batters.
- The Gujarat Giants were left reeling at 64/9 after 16 overs as the Mumbai Indians bowlers ran through their batting line-up. Monica Patel was the top scorer for the Gujarat Giants with 14 runs.
- The Mumbai Indians won the match by a massive margin of 143 runs, which is a huge statement of intent from the defending champions. The Gujarat Giants were no match for the Mumbai Indians in this match.
- The Mumbai Indians will be very happy with the performance of their players in the opening match of the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with the bat and the Mumbai Indians bowlers were outstanding as they dismantled the Gujarat Giants batting line-up.
- The Gujarat Giants will be disappointed with their performance in this match. They never really got going with the bat and the Mumbai Indians bowlers were all over them. They will need to regroup quickly and come back stronger in their next match.
The WPL is an exciting opportunity for women’s cricket in India to flourish, and the inaugural match was a great success. The sale of franchises and media rights for nearly $690 million shows the potential of the league, and the Indian cricket board has done a great job in lining up sponsors for the tournament.
The Women’s T20 Challenge has got off to a great start with a thumping victory for the Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur showed why she is one of the best batters in the world as she played a breathtaking innings to lead her team to victory. The Mumbai Indians bowlers were also outstanding as they never allowed the Gujarat Giants to get going with the bat.
The Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants match was a great start to the league, with both teams playing well. The Gujarat Giants made a strong start with their bowling, and the Mumbai Indians batswomen found it tough to score runs in the first few overs. The match was an exciting showcase of women’s cricket, and it bodes well for the future of the sport in India.
The WPL promises to be a game-changer for women’s cricket, and it will be fascinating to see how the league progresses over the course of the tournament. With some of the best women’s cricketers from around the world participating, the WPL has the potential to take women’s cricket in India to new heights.
The inaugural Women’s Premier League match between the Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians was a great success, with both teams playing well. The league has huge potential to revolutionize women’s cricket in India, with the sale of franchises and media rights alone highlighting the level of interest in the tournament.
The first match saw the Gujarat Giants put on a strong bowling display, while the Mumbai Indians batswomen found it difficult to score runs. However, the WPL promises to be an exciting tournament with some of the best women’s cricketers from around the world participating. The success of the inaugural match bodes well for the future of women’s cricket in India, and it will be interesting to see how the league progresses over the course of the tournament.
The Women’s T20 Challenge promises to be an exciting tournament with some of the best players in the world showcasing their skills. The Mumbai Indians have made a strong statement with their performance in the opening match and will be looking to carry this momentum forward in the tournament. The Gujarat Giants, on the other hand, will need to improve their performance quickly if they are to have any chance of making an impact in the tournament.
Overall, it was a great start to the Women’s T20 Challenge and we can’t wait for the next match to see some more exciting cricket!
Read more : WPL App: The Ultimate Guide for Fans to Follow the Womenโs Premier League 2023
