The Women’s Premier League (WPL) started with a thrilling match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Saturday. Harmanpreet Kaur, the MI captain, led from the front and scored the first fifty of the tournament in just 30 balls. She hit 14 boundaries but surprisingly didn’t score a single maximum. Kaur showcased her class in the 15th over by hammering Monica Patel for four consecutive fours to collect 21 runs from the over, which was the most expensive of the innings.
Earlier, Hayley Matthews smashed the first six and the first four of the WPL, while Tanuja Kanwar picked up the first wicket of the tournament. Kaur expressed her excitement about the young players in her team and how they fare at the toss. She said that the wicket was good to bat on, but there would be something in it for the bowlers as well.
Mumbai Indians posted a massive total of 207 for five, thanks to Kaur’s knock. In reply, Gujarat Giants suffered a blow early on in their run chase when their captain and opening batter Beth Mooney had to retire without scoring a run. After a horrendous start, Giants eventually folded for a lowly 64 runs and suffered a humiliating 143-run defeat.
The way Mumbai Indians dominated their opposition in the opening match reminded everyone of the first-ever IPL match in 2008 when Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by a similar margin and set the tone for the whole tournament. Many believe that Kaur’s fiery half-century has done the same for the WPL.
Over 15 years have gone by, but fans still remember the first IPL match for Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 off just 73 balls. Several years down the line, this match will be remembered for only one thing – Kaur’s powerful innings. McCullum’s magnificent hundred played a key role in setting up a base for IPL’s success in the following years. Hopefully, Kaur’s knock does the same for the Women’s Premier League and takes it to great heights.
Kaur’s knock was a masterclass in conventional cricket shots, and it showed that power-hitting isn’t the only way to score runs in T20 cricket. She relied on putting the ball into the gaps and running hard between the wickets. Her strike rate of 217 was mind-boggling, and it left the opposition clueless.
In conclusion, Harmanpreet Kaur’s knock set the tone for the Women’s Premier League, and hopefully, it will inspire young girls to take up cricket and showcase their talent on a bigger stage.
Mumbai Indians dominated their opposition in the opening match, and it remains to be seen whether they can continue their winning form in the tournament. The Women’s Premier League promises to be an exciting affair, and cricket fans all over the world will be eagerly following the tournament to see the next big thing in women’s cricket.
