THE Mumbai Indians are the first team into the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) finals after they pipped the Gujarat Giants in a nail-biter. After the Giants posted 7/190, the Indians reached the target on the penultimate ball of their innings.

The Giants made an okay start to their innings, but really got going with a 121-run second wicket partnership that went at a pace of over 10 runs an over. Although no following partnerships were quite to that scale, the speed with which this partnership was achieved was still enough to help catapult the Giants to a competitive score.

Dayalan Hemalatha (74) and Beth Mooney (66) provided much of Gujarat’s runs, and where the ones to put together that strong second wicket combination.

Saika Ishaque was the only one of Mumbai’s bowlers to pick up more than one wicket, but four others including the likes of Hayley Matthews and Shabnim Ismail picked up one wicket each.

Mumbai also made a pretty decent start to its innings, but once the wickets started to fall it was looking like the Indians may run out of overs to complete their mission after sitting at 3/98 halfway through the 14th over.

Enter Harmanpreet Kaur, who blasted 95 not out from just 48 balls, and teamed up with Amelia Kerr to put a 93 run partnership together and get their side over the line. Kaur’s innings included 10 fours and  whopping five sixes.

Earlier in the innings Yastika Bhatia had whacked eight fours and a six on her way to 49 from just 36 balls.

Meanwhile for Gujarat Ash Gardner, Tanuja Kanwar and Shabnam Md were the wicket takers.

Although this loss still does not officially rule the Giants out of finals, a lot would have to go right for them in order for the to make it. Their faint finals hopes may get blown out tonight anyway if Bangalore can beat Delhi.