WPL Eliminator: Gujarat up against the odds versus heavyweights Mumbai Indians

History, numbers, and the odds are skewed in Mumbai Indians' favour against Gujarat Giants come the WPL 2025 Eliminator on Thursday at the Brabourne Stadium.

Mumbai Indians have made it to the knockouts of each of the three editions so far, finishing second in the points table behind Delhi Capitals. They're up against a similarly peaking-at-the-right-time Gujarat Giants, who've made it past the group stage for the first time.

Gujarat Giants' opening combination has been a bit of a musical chair, with Beth Mooney leading the batting charge alongside skipper Ash Gardner and Harleen Deol. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have separated their most successful opening pair by demoting Yastika Bhatia down the order after a lean patch this season.

The bowling front is where Mumbai Indians may enjoy a slight edge over Gujarat Giants, with spinners having enjoyed far more success, bagging 17 wickets in the two games as compared to the 8 that went to pace.

When: Thursday, March 13 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

What to expect: The knockouts are going to be high-scoring affairs, with captains opting to chase and succeeding in neither of the two attempts.

Probable XI

Mumbai Indians: Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Sajeevan Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Parunika Sisodia

Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (wk), Kashvee Gautam, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Phoebe Litchfield, Deandra Dottin, Bharti Fulmali, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar, Meghna Singh, Priya Mishra