Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Mathews power Mumbai Indians into WPL 2025 final

Hayley Matthews put on a stunning all-round show, smashing a 50-ball 77 and returning to dismiss Ashleigh Gardner inside the PowerPlay to put the game beyond Gujarat Giants' reach very early. Matthews also added 133 runs with Nat Sciver-Brunt, the best-ever stand for the team in the tournament, as Mumbai Indians posted a gargantuan 213/4 in 20 overs.

The Giants fell 47 short in the chase, with consistently bad fielding and catching through the season coming to haunt them in the most important fixture. They dropped Matthews twice and offered a chance each to Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur.

Sciver-Brunt added just four runs after that but the MI captain made the most of the situation by maximising the death overs with a 12-ball 36 that included two fours and four sixes. The Giants dearly missed Deandra Dottin who suffered a late injury while warming up for the fixture and was replaced by debutant Danielle Gibson.

Gibson earned the first breakthrough but the Giants were lastly listless with the ball since, their woes compounded by pedestrian ground fielding and catching. By 11 overs, the pair took MI to 100/1 with Matthews bringing up her 36-ball half-century with a six.

In the 15th over, Gardner brought back Gibson hoping for her to snuff out her England compatriot, but Sciver-Brunt made the most of the familiarity by tonking a six on the second ball to get to her half-century, off 30 balls. 16 runs came off that over to kick-start a sprint to finish, even as both the half-centurions fell for 77.

Harmanpreet just took over from the pair and kept the MI foot firmly on the pedal with her big hits to drag MI past 200. Matthews took a diving catch at first slip to see the back of Beth Mooney in the opening over, and a sharp fielding effort sent Harleen Deol packing through a run-out in the fifth over.

The Giants were left to chase 72 off 27 deliveries after Fulmali departed, but they eventually fell well short when they were bowled out for 166.