Mumbai Indians defeated UP Warriorz in the WPL 2023 Eliminator and set up a summit clash with the Delhi Capitals. The Mumbai-based franchise brought their ‘A’ game to the table at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy and blew away the Warriorz.
All-rounder Natalie Sciver was adjudged the Player of the Match for her all-round brilliance. She scored 72* off 38 in the first innings and then picked up a wicket with the ball to help the Mumbai Indians record 72-run win in the Eliminator match.
MI w Vs UP w Stats
- Sciver came out to bat at number three when MI’s score was 31/1 in the fifth over.
- She added 38 runs for the second wicket with Hayley Matthews and then had a 35-run partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur for the third wicket.
- Amelia Kerr and Sciver took MI’s score past 150 with a 60-run fourth-wicket partnership.
- In the end, Pooja Vastrakar’s cameo of 11 runs from four balls guided Mumbai Indians to 182/4.
- Chasing 183 for a place in the WPL 2023 Final, UP Warriorz never got going. They lost wickets at regular intervals.
- Kiran Navgire tried to take them closer to the target with a 43-run knock, but Issy Wong’s hat-trick sealed the deal for MI.
- The first-ever Eliminator match of the WPL proved to be a lopsided encounter. Here’s a list of three records that broke during the game.
1. Natalie Sciver got past Suryakumar Yadav’s feat
Natalie Sciver played an excellent inning of 72 runs for the Mumbai Indians last night. She faced 38 balls and batted at a strike rate of 189.47, smashing nine fours and two maximums.
Courtesy of her terrific knock, Sciver has set a new record for the highest individual score by a Mumbai Indians player in a playoffs game. Suryakumar Yadav previously held this record with a 71-run knock against Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2019.
2. Saika Ishaque breaks Amelia Kerr’s record in WPL 2023
Saika Ishaque has been the find of the season for the Mumbai Indians so far. The uncapped spinner has impressed the fans with her wicket-taking skills. She is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in WPL 2023.
Ishaque bowled a maiden over against UP Warriorz last night, setting a new record for the most maiden overs bowled by a spinner in the WPL. Amelia Kerr jointly held the record with Ishaque, having bowled one maiden over each before the game.
3. Mumbai Indians broke Delhi Capitals’ record in WPL 2023
- Mumbai Indians beat the UP Warriorz by a grand margin of 72 runs at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy. This was the biggest defeat for the UP Warriorz in terms of runs.
- Earlier in the season, Delhi Capitals beat them by 42 runs during a league stage match in Navi Mumbai. MI broke DC’s record with a spectacular performance last night
- DC and MI will now meet in the WPL 2023 Final on Sunday at Brabourne Stadium. It will be interesting to see which team emerges as the inaugural WPL winners.