WPL 2025 Match Review: Mumbai Indians Women reach top spot after dominating UP Warriorz by 8 wickets

In Match 11 of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025, the Mumbai Indians Women put up an outstanding display, defeating the UP Warriorz Women by eight wickets on February 26 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of MI, chose to bowl first after winning the toss. UP only managed 142/9 in their 20 overs as they failed to construct their innings. Dinesh Vrinda produced 33 off 30, but Grace Harris was the most impressive player with a blistering 45 off 26 balls. With scores of 3/18, Nat Sciver-Brunt was MI's best bowler. Shabnim Ismail (2/33) and Sanskriti Gupta (2/11) provided support.

The former champions, while chasing 143, got off to a sluggish start but took charge when Sciver-Brunt reached the crease. Hayley Matthews (59 off 50) and Sciver-Brunt (75* off 44) put together a match-winning combination of 133 runs after Yastika Bhatia was out early for a duck. Harmanpreet finished at 143/2 in just 17 overs after hitting Sophie Ecclestone for a boundary to round off the victory in spectacular fashion. With six points from this decisive win, MI takes the lead in the standings. The UP-based team, however, takes fourth place.

Mumbai won thanks to an incredible all-around performance by Nat Sciver-Brunt. She was outstanding with the ball, taking 3/18 in her four overs, along with Chinelle Henry, Shweta Sehrawat, and Kiran Navgire. She then played a game-winning knock with the bat, hitting an undefeated 75 off just 44 balls with 13 boundaries. After the innings, Brunt scored 254 runs in four innings, making him the season's top run scorer. She received the Player of the Match award for her efforts.

With a strong 59 runs off 50 balls, West Indian batsman Hayley Matthews played a pivotal role in this match. Her team easily reached the 143-run mark because of her innings, which featured seven boundaries and two sixes. Matthews kept the ship afloat even though she lost her opening partner early. As she stayed at the crease until the 16.5-over mark, she made a crucial contribution before losing to Sophie Ecclestone. The chase's high point was her 133-run partnership with Brunt.

On the other hand, the UP Warriorz Women's batting collapse was dismal, as they only managed 142/9 in 20 overs. The middle order fell apart despite a 45 from Grace Harris and a 33 from Dinesh Vrinda. Kiran Navgire (1), Tahlia McGrath (1), and skipper Deepti Sharma (4) did not contribute. They lost because their best hitters weren't doing well.