Georgia Wareham stars as Gujarat finally topple Mumbai, seal Eliminator berth

The phrase “there’s always a first time” finally rang true for Gujarat Giants, who chose the perfect moment to break their Mumbai Indians Women jinx.

In a must-win encounter to stay alive in the Women’s Premier League, Gujarat produced a composed all-round performance to defeat the defending champions by 11 runs in Match 19 of WPL 2026 at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara, on Friday.

Chasing 168 on a sluggish, two-paced surface, Mumbai never truly found momentum. Apart from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s valiant unbeaten 82 off 48 balls, the MI batting line-up struggled to adapt to the conditions. Gujarat’s bowlers kept things tight throughout, with Sophie Devine (2/23) and Georgia Wareham (2/26) picking up two wickets each to restrict Mumbai to 156/7 in 20 overs.

The victory ended Gujarat’s prolonged winless run against Mumbai, marking their first-ever win over the two-time champions after eight consecutive defeats. More importantly, the result confirmed Gujarat’s second-place finish on the points table and booked them a spot in the Eliminator.

Earlier, Gujarat Giants were put under pressure early after losing Beth Mooney for 5, caught at mid-wicket off Shabnim Ismail. Anushka Sharma (33 off 31) and Sophie Devine (25 off 21) steadied the innings with a 48-run stand for the second wicket, but both fell in quick succession around the halfway mark. Anushka miscued a lofted shot off Amelia Kerr, while Devine perished attempting a pull off Nat Sciver-Brunt, leaving Gujarat at 71/3 after 10.1 overs.

Georgia Wareham then joined captain Ashleigh Gardner, and the pair shifted the momentum decisively in Gujarat’s favour. Their 71-run partnership off just 43 balls for the fourth wicket injected much-needed impetus into the innings. Gardner fell agonisingly short of a half-century, stumped for 46 off 28 deliveries by Amelia Kerr, who finished with figures of 2/26.

Wareham remained unbeaten on 44 off 26 balls, ensuring a strong finish as Gujarat posted a competitive 167/4.

Despite the defeat, Mumbai Indians Women remain in contention for the playoffs. Their qualification now hinges on the result of Delhi Capitals’ final league match against UP Warriorz. A DC win would send Mumbai through to the Eliminator alongside Gujarat. However, if DC lose, the second playoff spot will be decided on net run rate between Mumbai and UP — a scenario that currently favours MI, who hold a net run rate of +0.059 compared to UP’s -1.146.