Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to field against Gujarat Giants in their WPL clash. MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur cited dew as a key factor. Hayley Matthews replaces an unwell Nat Sciver-Brunt for MI, who are third on the points table.
MI win toss, elect to field
Mumbai Indians (MI) won the toss and elected to field first in their Women's Premier League (WPL) match against Gujarat Giants (GG) at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday. MI is in third place in the ongoing competition, losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their opening match before recovering with a 50-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC). On the other hand, GG started off with two wins over UP Warriorz and DC.
'Chasing is always a better option': Harmanpreet Kaur
MI skipper Harmanpreet said during the toss, "We are going to bowl first. I believe in dew, and especially when you are playing late games, chasing is always a better option. I think we are ticking all the areas. We are discussing in meetings, and the bowlers are executing their plans. I think, while batting, we are really looking to go out and bat positively in the first six overs. And now Hayley's back, she is fit, so hopefully we will click in that area as well. Unfortunately, Nat (Sciver-Brunt) is not well today, so in place of her place, Hayley's back. She's someone who, you know, always does well with both bat and ball, and we are really looking to, you know, have her come in and take responsibility for the team."
'Indian players are the ones who win you tournaments': Ashleigh Gardner
On the other hand, GG skipper Ashleigh Gardner joked about losing all the tosses, saying, "I cannot win one (toss) at the moment, but that is okay. I think the power play has been huge. Obviously, we have got so much experience at the top of the order with Sophie (Devine) and Moons (Beth Mooney) batting together. They have spent so much time out in the middle in franchise cricket. So I guess to have a combination that has worked in the past and be able to put it into practice here has been really pleasing to see."
"Some people bowl really well on the day, and you kind of throw them the ball and ask them to do a job. But I think for us, it's about keeping our plans really simple. You know this ground, it is obviously really hard to defend. So, making sure that we put on a big total for them to hopefully not chase. Overseas players add a lot of experience and depth, but I think the Indian players are actually the ones who win you tournaments. All the Indian players who have come in and done a job for us have been fantastic. They have stepped up at different times, and I guess as a captain, it makes your job a little bit easier, not having to rely on one or two players or overseas players for that matter. So for us, it is about celebrating the small wins, the success that comes with that, and just trying to keep things really simple. One team change today. Anushka (Sharma) is unfortunately out with an injury, and Ayushi (Soni) makes her debut today.
Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians Women
Mumbai Indians Women (Playing XI): Hayley Matthews, G Kamalini(w), Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Nicola Carey, Sajeevan Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, Triveni Vasistha
Gujarat Giants Women
Gujarat Giants Women (Playing XI): Beth Mooney(w), Sophie Devine, Ashleigh Gardner(c), Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Ayushi Soni, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur. (ANI)
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