The choices that shaped the Giants' breakthrough against MI

Gujarat Giants chose the night they needed it the most to set the record straight. Eight straight defeats, nearly four seasons of frustration, and a near-similar Mumbai Indians side that had always found ways to get the better of GG. But none of the history mattered once the Giants defended 167 in a must-win game, beating Mumbai Indians for the first time in WPL history to book their place in the Eliminator for a second year running.

As head coach Michael Klinger later put it, winning "one where it really counts to qualify for the finals [week] is pretty special."

They did it with a call contrary to the prevailing norm. No team since the 2024 final had opted to bat after winning the toss in WPL, for 40 successive games, until Ash Gardner flipped the script in Vadodara.

Klinger explained the two-fold reason behind the call: "One, we've been playing pretty well batting first. It was the fourth time the wicket has been used so we felt if we could post a pretty solid total and bowl and field somewhere near our best then we could defend it.

"Also came into account our first game against Mumbai. We batted first and made 190 [192]. If we're probably being honest, had we bowled and fielded a little bit better we should have won that game as well. So, against this team… we just felt it was going to benefit us if we could post a good total."

On a wicket hosting its fourth game of the season, runs would have been difficult to come by as the game progressed, and anything near 170 was above par. Giving their batting the freedom to set a total, without the scoreboard pressure of a chase, was a conscious, early call that set the tone.

Several senior players put their hands up. At the top was Sophie Devine, who made a vital 21-ball 25 in a 48-run partnership with Anushka Sharma after the early loss of Beth Mooney. She then delivered two devastating blows with the ball, accounting for both Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews in successive overs to reduce MI to 37/3 just after the PowerPlay.

Klinger noted, "On a slightly slower wicket, to score mid-20s off about 20 balls and give us a solid start which is what we needed tonight," before highlighting her broader impact. "She's had an excellent season with bat and ball… Her presence in general on match day, outside of match day, at training, helping some of the others… She's worth every cent that we bought her for."

The biggest win yet for GG on the night was Georgia Wareham's return to form. Her counter-attacking 26-ball 44 not out, and a 71-run quickfire stand with Gardner, enabled Giants to finish closer to the 170-run target they felt was defendable. With the ball, she applied the squeeze, including a tight 18th over for just five after getting rid of Amelia Kerr in the 12th to expose Mumbai's lower-order.

Player of the Match after playing a decisive role with the bat and the ball, Wareham's performance came after a bumpy ride in the season that also saw the leggie being benched for a game.

"It probably hadn't clicked 100% for her but she'd shown signs," Klinger said. "To come out and win Player of the Match after probably being just under a bit of pressure… As coaching staff we all knew it wasn't far away… Today, we thought she'd match up really well also given it was the fourth time this pitch was in use. We thought her bowling would be really useful tonight, and figures of 4 overs 2 for 26 against Mumbai Indians, who generally play spin pretty well, I thought, was a huge effort."

Wareham's selection was an outcome of a difficult call. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who had replaced Wareham two games ago, was unlucky with illness, paving the way for the Australian allrounder's return. Going into the must-win clash, Giants debated bringing back Wyatt-Hodge but ultimately felt Wareham's experience in the conditions gave them the edge.

If Wareham set it up, Gardner made all the right calls under pressure to strangle MI. With leg-side boundary being the bigger of the two, pitching Wareham against Harmanpreet Kaur – whose go-to shots are the slog-sweeps – tied down the well-set batter when the ask was 42 off the last 18 balls.

She gave Devine, a death-overs specialist, the 19th over to save as much as possible from 37. Devine limited the damage, and with 26 to defend, the skipper put her hand up for the final over – ahead of pacers like Kashvee Gautam and Renuka Thakur. She mis-executed twice to concede two sixes, but her quick adjustment to close out the game earned praise.

"I was nervous right till the end," Klinger admitted. "But Ash was able to compose herself and bowl a few really good balls in that over. [She] used the wicket a bit more after trying to bowl a couple of yorkers [that went awry], and that proved to be successful.

"The way the game was set up she really only had to bowl two good balls to win it. Obviously I think she felt – and we felt as well – that she's our most experienced bowler for the situation. I think she made the right call."

Besides commendable leadership and teamwork, there was clarity in how the Giants viewed Mumbai's long-standing dominance. Klinger acknowledged the 8-0 record but insisted it didn't shape their messaging.

"It doesn't come into our game-by-game discussions when we play MI," Klinger said. "We know what we've got to do to beat any team and when we play somewhere very close to our best I think we're in a position to beat most teams here so we were pretty close to one of our best games tonight.

"They're a quality team, quality opposition, but for GG to get over the line tonight means a lot to us."

For Giants, the win was a massive validation of their processes – be it around selection calls, patience with players finding rhythm, or self-belief. Against a side that's always stood in the way, they finally pushed through. Now they await their opponent in the Eliminator, which, by a quirk of fate, could still be Mumbai. But they'll front up knowing they have already beaten history once.