Mumbai Indians thrash Gujarat Giants in WPL opener

Gujarat captain and wicketkeeper Beth Mooney limped off injured early in their innings to cap off a disastrous afternoon for Rachael Haynes' side

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians 207-5, Gujarat Giants 64 - Mumbai Indians win by 143 runs

Mumbai Indians thrashed Gujarat Giants as the inaugural Women's Premier League began with a one-sided affair.

Gujarat folded to 64 all out in shambolic fashion after Mumbai racked up the second-highest total ever made in elite women's T20 cricket in India.

Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front for MI, smashing 65 in just 30 balls, with overseas players Hayley Matthews (47), Amelia Kerr (45*) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (23) providing terrific support in an innings that featured six sixes and 31 fours as all of Giants' bowlers went around the park.

Kaur and Kerr shared an 89-run stand in just seven overs as Gujarat's early wicket of Yastika Bhatia was rendered irrelevant. Annabel Sutherland was taken for 32 runs from her three overs, while Georgia Wareham's three cost 30.

When Ash Gardner picked up the wicket of Matthews, who set Mumbai on their way, MI were only 77 for 3 at the halfway mark.

But carnage ensued thereafter as Mumbai smashed 130 runs in the second half of their innings, led by Kaur until Kerr – at No.5 in a stacked batting line-up – got to work, sweeping strongly as she feasted on Giants' spinners. Pooja Vastrakar added three boundaries in an eight-ball cameo, before Issy Wong – a surprise inclusion – came out with one ball remaining in the innings and hit it for six.

^{Beth Mooney limped off injured early in Gujarat's innings (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)}

It gave yet more momentum to a team already flying as the WPL began with a score only once bettered in the Women's Big Bash, albeit this was played out on a small ground with a rapid outfield.

A disastrous day for Gujarat worsened from there, if that were possible. Beth Mooney pulled up sharply as she set off for a single and had to be helped from the field, only for her replacement, Harleen Deol, to fall at the end of a chaotic first over, looping a leading edge to Wong at third man, which gave Sciver-Brunt the first of two wickets.

Wong's dream debut only improved, needing just two balls to pick up her first wicket as Gardner slashed to Matthews at slip. The game was effectively over as a contest then, and an off-cutter from Sciver-Brunt accounted for S Meghana as Gujarat slumped effectively to 5 for 4, with Mooney not returning to the crease.

Sutherland was bowled around her legs by the left-arm spin of Saika Ishaque (4 for 11), who also cleaned up Wareham – all of this within the opening seven overs of Giants' riposte.

Kerr struck with her first ball, ripping the perfect googly onto the pad of Sneh Rana, and then had Tanuja Kanwar caught at cover in a double-wicket maiden, at which point Gujarat were 23 for 7.

A recovery of sorts did at least take them beyond fifty and spare them some ignominy, but this was a dismal start for Rachael Haynes' side, who must now pray for good news on Mooney, the franchise's captain, wicketkeeper and opening batter – a combination that will make her almost impossible to replace.

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