Gujarat Giants sealed a qualification spot in the TATA WPL 2026 with a hard-fought 11-run win over Mumbai Indians in Vadodara. Mithali Raj and Katey Martin discussed Harmanpreet Kaur’s valiant knock, Sophie Devine’s impeccable consistency, Gujarat Giants’ all-round performance, and their ability to defend scores.

Mithali Raj heaped praise on Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for her fighting knock:

“I’ve always felt that when the spinners are getting a little bit of bite out of the surface, it’s always going to be a challenge to chase down, despite having good chasers in the line-up for the Mumbai Indians. We saw that from the Mumbai Indians in the first innings, so that clearly persisted in the second innings. There was a quick fall of wickets for Mumbai Indians again, then Harmanpreet Kaur scored a valuable 80-odd. I think it was a good fight from the Mumbai Indians, but the Gujarat Giants had just enough. It started with the toss and the way they pushed to 167. Somewhere in the middle of the innings, they lost their way. However, they were still able to find those crucial 40-odd runs from Georgia Wareham, along with the Captain, Ashleigh Gardner. And the captain too, I think she rotated her bowlers quite well, especially the spinners.”

On Sophie Devine’s extraordinary season for the Gujarat Giants:

“Sophie Devine is someone who’s been very impactful with both her skills, whether with the bat up the order or with her bowling coming good in the middle overs. Whichever role the Captain has wanted to use her in, Devine has always used her experience and the control she has to come in and bowl in the death overs. That’s been exceptional, and to do that time and again for Gujarat Giants makes her a pretty valuable player for them at the moment. Her plans, the way she sets up batters, the field placements she uses, and her slower ones have all come in really useful for Gujarat Giants. The confidence of the Captain each time to give her the ball in a pressure situation, and the fact that she’s always delivered, says a lot.”

On Georgia Wareham’s all-round show:

“Georgia Wareham started off with that impact with the bat, her partnership with the Captain, Ashleigh Gardner, and then continued that momentum with the ball. The way she came in to bowl, yes, she started a little way outside the off stump and got hit for a couple of boundaries, but then she adjusted quickly with her line. There was a chance off Harmanpreet Kaur that was put down, but she really bowled well, keeping the stumps in play. The plan was precisely that, to always operate within the corridor, and she executed that really well.”

Katey Martin reiterated Gujarat Giants’ strength of defending scores:

"You’ve got to win the one that counts the most. It started at the toss for Gujarat Giants. They decided they would go with their strength, the first time a team has batted first in two years. So, they knew what they needed to do. I thought they created a nice platform and had that little momentum through the middle overs, but 61 off the last five overs was, in the end, probably what pushed them to a score that, ultimately, Harmanpreet Kaur got them close to, but it was out of reach.”

On the remaining Playoffs spot and UP Warriorz potentially playing party-spoilers for the Delhi Capitals in the final league-stage game:

“UP Warriorz will know, going into that game, how many runs they need to win by and what they need to do to jump ahead against the net run-rate of the Mumbai Indians. But really, it’s about the Delhi Capitals and how they fight back from what was an outstanding comeback, just a little bit too late, against Gujarat in their last game. Their season is in their own hands, and that’s what you want as a side. But with UP Warriorz, there is a bit of pride they’re playing for. You don’t count out a side that has world-class players throughout and players who want to perform for their respective teams.”