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UP Warriorz complete double over Mumbai Indians with commanding win

cricket17 January 2026 13:13| © MWP
By:Brendon Atwell
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UP Warriorz © @WPL (X)

The UP Warriorz continued their resurgence in the Tata Women’s Premier League (WPL) with a convincing 22-run victory over the Mumbai Indians at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.

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This result not only gave the Warriorz back-to-back wins over the defending champions but also kept their playoff hopes alive in a tightly contested season.

Just two days ago, the Warriorz stunned Mumbai by seven wickets, chasing down a stiff target with Harleen Deol’s unbeaten 64 leading the way. Today, they proved that the win was no fluke, producing a clinical all-round performance to defend 187 and seal two crucial points.

Having lost the toss and being asked to bat first, the UP Warriorz were jolted early when Kiran Navgire fell for a first-ball duck to Australian Nicola Carey (4-0-38-1). But that setback only set the stage for a spectacular partnership between skipper Meg Lanning and the in-form Phoebe Litchfield. The Australian duo added a scintillating 119 runs off just 74 balls, dismantling Mumbai’s attack with a mix of elegance and power.

Lanning, who has been a pillar of consistency in global T20 cricket, was at her authoritative best. She raced to 70 off 45 balls, peppering the boundary with 11 fours and two sixes. Her ability to pick gaps and punish anything loose kept the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace.

At the other end, Litchfield showcased her growing reputation as one of the most exciting young batters in the game. Her 61 off 37 balls included seven fours and three towering sixes, and her fearless approach ensured the Warriorz dominated the middle overs.

The pair looked set to push the total beyond 200, but Mumbai clawed back in the death overs. West Indian Hayley Matthews (3-0-40-1) broke the stand by removing Lanning, while Amelia Kerr’s (4-0-28-3) clever variations accounted for Deol (25), Sophie Ecclestone (1), and Deepti Sharma (0) in a dramatic final over.

Nat Sciver-Brunt (4-0-22-2) also struck twice in the 18th over, including a smart dismissal of South Africa’s Chloe Tryon for 21. From 177 for three in the 18th over, the Warriorz collapsed to 187 for eight, losing five wickets for just 10 runs in the last two overs.

Despite the late wobble, 187 was still a formidable total on a pitch that had seen high scores throughout the tournament.

POWERPLAY STRUGGLES

Chasing 188, Mumbai Indians needed a strong start, but their powerplay struggles resurfaced. Sajeevan Sajana briefly threatened with a six and a four before falling lbw to Kranti Gaud (4-0-32-1) for 10. Matthews followed soon after, chipping England’s Ecclestone (4-1-33-1) to mid-off for 13, leaving Mumbai at 23 for two.

Sciver-Brunt, who top-scored with 65 in the previous clash, looked in good touch with three crisp boundaries but perished for 15 to Shikha Pandey (4-0-30-2). Harmanpreet Kaur’s lean patch continued; the skipper laboured to 18 off 21 balls before holing out to Tryon. At 69/5 in the 11th over, Mumbai’s chase was in tatters.

Just when the game seemed over, Australian Kerr and Amanjot Kaur launched a spirited counterattack. Kerr, who has endured a tough season with the bat, rediscovered her fluency, smashing 49 off 28 balls with six fours and a six. Amanjot was equally aggressive, hammering 41 off 24 balls, including three sixes. Their 83-run stand injected hope into the Mumbai camp and had the Warriorz briefly worried.

However, the asking rate kept climbing, and Pandey’s brilliant return catch to dismiss Amanjot in the 18th over effectively ended the contest. Mumbai eventually finished on 165 for six, 22 runs short of the target.

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