Skipper Ashleigh Gardner, however, turned the momentum dramatically in the 16th over. She attacked Hayley Matthews for 19 runs, beginning with a huge hit over deep midwicket, followed by three boundaries. Gardner then targeted Shabnim Ismail, smashing four more boundaries in a 17-run over, before Kerr deceived her in flight to end the innings. Gardner’s 46 off 28 balls and Wareham’s 44 from 26, including a crucial 71-run partnership, propelled Gujarat to 167 for 4.
Chasing on a tricky wicket, Mumbai Indians started well but were pegged back by Wareham and Gardner. Despite Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 82 off 48 balls, Mumbai fell short at 156/7. Needing 37 runs from the final two overs, the defending champions could not close the gap.
This win ended Gujarat’s eight-match losing streak against Mumbai and secured their Eliminator berth. Mumbai must wait for the Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz result on Sunday to know if they join the playoffs. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have already confirmed their place in the final, topping the table with six wins from eight matches. Gujarat’s all-round brilliance came at the perfect time ahead of the knockout stage.