GG-W vs MI-W

11:19 PM local time and IST: Gujarat Giants become the second team to make the playoffs of WPL 2026! They will play the Eliminator on Tuesday, 3 February. But whom will they face? That will be decided on Sunday, 1 February, when Delhi Capitals take on UP Warriorz from 7:30 PM local time. If the Capitals win, they go through. But if they lose, it boils down to how the Warriorz win the match. But, they will require a whole lot to do in order to reach the Eliminator! So, if Delhi Capitals lose and UP Warriorz don't do what is required of them, Mumbai Indians qualify! But for now, this is Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda however! 

Georgia Wareham (Player of the Match, 44* off 26 balls and 2/26 off 4 overs) : "It was nice tp have an impact today, with both bat and ball. I let myself and the team down a bit early on, but, happy to contribute today. I tried to give myself a chance up front, and assess the pace of the wicket. The idea of the conditions after batting out there was a plus, but, I kept it simple and stuck to the plans." 

Ashleigh Gardner (Gujarat Giants captain): "Really happy with that performance! We knew that it was a quarter-final. Really pleased to be going into the playoffs now. We've won all our games batting first, so, that influenced our decision. We wanted to set things up with the power play, and it went well. To be critical, we should have got some more runs. And Harmanpreet Kaur can always be damaging towards the end, so, to come through that, and win, yes, it was special. We tried out best to keep the stumps in play, we did see some balls keep really low, so, it worked out decently. Georgia Wareham is a world-class player! I have played a lot of cricket with her, so, I know what she is capable of. She is a fine leg-spinner too, and she was brilliant all round today!" 

Sophie Devine (2/23 in 4 overs and the new holder of the Purple Cap): "We probably just had enough runs on the board. I thought that Ash (Ashleigh Gardner) and Georgia (Wareham) were brilliant to get those runs, and then us bowlers managed to defend it. The fielding too needed to be good, which it was. Harman (Harmanpreet Kaur) was blazing away, so, to stop them in their tracks, it was really good! The big wickets of Hayley (Matthews) and Nat (Sciver-Brunt) up front, were key. I don't think a lot changed this season, but, we've just managed to sneak over the line, which is what it's all about. It's important now to take a couple of days off, to rest and recover. At the business end, it's about staying as fresh as possible. We'll enjoy the success of this win, but get ready for the Eliminator real soon." 

Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians captain and the new holder of the Orange Cap): "I think in the first 6 overs, we were unable to execute our batting plans. We both lost wickets, and didn't score that many. We also did not have that many impactful partnerships. I wanted to keep going till the end, but needed someone to help me out. It was a good game though! While fielding, we did give 16-17 runs away, which also cost us, but all we needed was one partnership. I just calculated how many sixes we needed towards the end, but, they executed their plans really well! We should give them full credit for their bowling effort. Let's see how things go in the last game, it's no more in our hands now." 

10:52 PM local time and IST: Gujarat Giants win by 11 runs and qualify for the Eliminator! 

Ashleigh Gardner 46 (28) | Sophie Devine -2/23 (4)
Harmanpreet Kaur 82* (48) | Amelia Kerr - 2/26 (4)

History has been made! At the ninth time of asking, Gujarat Giants have beaten Mumbai Indians in the WPL and they could not have picked a better time to do so! By virtue of this win, they become the first team to reach the Eliminator. 

It was a tricky pitch to bat on, and things got trickier when runs didn't come as quickly in the power play as Mumbai would have liked. Then of course, those two big wickets of Hayley Matthews and Natalie Sciver-Brunt, for rather low individual scores, pegged the chasing side further back! 

Harmanpreet Kaur tried to resurrect things, first with Amelia Kerr, who was out at the wrong time, nicking off to Georgia Wareham, and then with Amanjot Kaur, who hung around with her captain and supported her well for some time. But, Amanjot played one shot too many and Rajeshwari Gayakwad had her number! 

It was getting pretty late, but right towards the end, Harmanpreet, who completed her fifty by then, almost pulled off the rabbit out of the hat and brought the equation down to 14 runs required to win off 3 balls! 

However, her opposite number, Ashleigh Gardner, held her nerve, and closed things out really well! She rotated her bowlers excellently too and got great responses from almost everyone who bowled! Sophie Devine was clutch, once again! 

19.6 Ashleigh Gardner to Rahila Firdous, GUJARAT GIANTS PICK UP THEIR FIRST WIN OVER MUMBAI INDIANS AND GO THROUGH TO THE ELIMINATOR! Into the pitch on off-and-middle. Rahila stepped out to try and whack it with the turn, but could only mistime it to the left of deep square-leg for a single! 

19.5 Ashleigh Gardner to Poonam Khemnar, CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Tossed up and around off. The slog-sweep gets top-edged here. Gardner gets around to her right and takes a neat catch! Is that the match right there? The Giants definitely believe so! 

19.4 Ashleigh Gardner to Harmanpreet Kaur, OH DEAR! IT'S JUST ONE RUN! Short and slow on off-stump. Pulled off the back foot to the deep square-leg area for a single. 13 runs to get off 2 balls. 

19.3 Ashleigh Gardner to Harmanpreet Kaur, SIX MORE! Another full toss around off-stump. Harmanpreet steps out and slams it well over deep cover for a maximum! 14 runs to get off 3 balls! 

19.2 Ashleigh Gardner to Harmanpreet Kaur, OHHH! Short on off-stump. Pulled off the back foot, but straight to deep mid-wicket from the thick inside half of the bat. Dot ball. 

19.1 Ashleigh Gardner to Harmanpreet Kaur, SIX RUNS! Full toss around off-stump. Harmanpreet gets on to the front foot, bends her knees and clobbers it wide of long-on! 20 runs to win off 5 balls! 

Ashleigh Gardner [2.0-0-12-0] comes back into the attack.

18.6 Sophie Devine to Harmanpreet Kaur, good length and slow around off. Harmanpreet shimmies across and heaves it to deep mid-wicket for a single to keep strike. 26 runs required to win off the last over now! 

18.5 Sophie Devine to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR MORE! Low full toss outside off. Harmanpreet went forward, bent her knees and stroked it in the gap through backward point! 

18.4 Sophie Devine to Harmanpreet Kaur, AH! Length ball around off-stump. The big shot on the up through the line gets sliced well over deep cover, for a brace here.