Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Gujarat Giants (GG) Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, 7.30pm IST
What to anticipate: two wounded groups eyeing a closing spot
Though each Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians come into the eliminator after shedding their final league video games, Mumbai look a bit of extra wounded. They misplaced their first residence recreation at Brabourne Stadium within the WPL on Tuesday, they dropped 4 catches within the recreation, leaked quite a lot of runs within the discipline, and they’re taking part in continuous cricket on the finish of the event. The eliminator on Thursday can be their third recreation in 4 days after back-to-back matches to start out the week and will they make the ultimate, it will likely be 4 video games within the span of six days for Mumbai.
Giants don’t have any such points. The margin of their loss to Mumbai on Monday was simply 9 runs after Bharti Fulmali’s blazing end, their Indian gamers are stepping up on the proper time to take a number of the load off the abroad stars, and their run of three straight wins earlier than heading to Mumbai would have given them bundles of confidence.
Besides they’ve by no means overwhelmed Mumbai. In these three seasons of WPL, Mumbai boast of a 6-0 file towards Giants however going by their final conflict, the following contest is probably not as lopsided as this stat suggests. One of many elements behind Giants’ rise within the factors desk was their middle-order batting led by captain Ashleigh Gardner and Deandra Dottin, even when they struggled to search out the proper opening accomplice for Beth Mooney. Giants have been the slowest starters within the powerplay this WPL (run price 5.97), however then they decide up fabulously within the center overs with a scoring price of 8.81 (higher than anybody else), and have been the second-best finishers on the demise (10 per over) behind solely Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Going by this WPL’s traits, what may probably determine the match can be Giants’ center overs, when they are going to be trying to press the pedal however can be up towards the mighty bowling of Mumbai – the perfect bowling facet in that section. Amelia Kerr, their star bowler within the center overs, may need leaked loads of runs on Tuesday, however had all of the catches been taken off her bowling her figures may need been completely different. Her means to excel underneath stress – as was seen within the T20 World Cup final yr – could possibly be on show once more on Thursday.
Going into the toss, each captains could be relieved to know which manner the coin falls won’t matter an excessive amount of: whereas groups have nonetheless been opting to chase, the tide has turned on the finish of the league stage with groups batting first successful the final three video games. Earlier than that, solely two video games had been received batting first out of 17.
Whereas Mumbai can be eyeing their second closing in three years after shedding to RCB within the eliminator final yr, the onus is on Giants to not make this yr’s closing match-up a repeat of what we noticed in 2023.
Each groups went unchanged into their final league video games however can be involved about their opening mixtures. If Giants have not discovered anybody to accomplice Mooney, Mumbai’s technique to advertise Kerr to the highest hasn’t labored in three makes an attempt.
Gamers to observe: Harmanpreet Kaur and Beth Mooney
Harmanpreet Kaur loves taking part in Giants. She averages almost 79 against them, scores at a price of 171, has 4 half-centuries towards them. Harmanpreet’s tally of 315 runs is essentially the most a batter has accrued towards Giants. She has not been at her constant greatest this season and, within the absence of stable batting choices after her, one other huge rating towards Giants would give her much more confidence probably going right into a closing.
Beth Mooney has been Giants’ solely hope on the high of the order for big components of the season. Happily for them Harleen Deol has come good at No. 3 recently, however Mooney has completed the heavy lifting to present them regular if sedate begins. RCB’s openers confirmed on Tuesday that you possibly can go after Mumbai’s high bowlers too, and Mooney may take a leaf out of Smriti Mandhana’s ebook. She has two half-centuries this season, not even near her greatest, and she or he’ll be itching to get an enormous one towards Giants’ nemesis within the eliminator.
Key stats
A mean of almost 70 mixed with a strike price that is touching 153 is essentially exceptional in WT20s, however such is Nat Sciver-Brunt’s purple patch this time. She at present has the Orange Cup and have become the primary batter to cross 400 runs in a WPL season. If she scores one other 80 on Thursday – her highest rating within the WPL – she’s going to change into the primary participant to succeed in 1000 WPL runs
Ash Gardner is the highest run-scorer (559) and the highest wicket-taker (25) for Giants in WPL historical past
There are three allrounders this season who’ve over 200 runs and greater than 5 wickets to date, all from Mumbai and Giants: Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews and Gardner
Kerr and Matthews lead the wicket-taking charts to date this WPL with 14 scalps each. Giants’ high wicket-taker is Kashvee Gautam with ten
Vishal Dikshit is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
