Key Points
Gujarat Giants debut in playoffs with tactical bowling decision
Mumbai Indians seek record of never losing to Giants
Deandra Dottin ruled out for crucial match
High-stakes elimination game at Brabourne Stadium
The loser of this clash will bow out of the tournament, while the winner will continue its quest for the WPL title and face Delhi Capitals in the final on Saturday. Mumbai Indians are in a playoff clash for the third time, while their opponents, the Gujarat Giants, have qualified for the first time.
MI will back themselves to continue their run in the tournament, considering they have never lost a single game against GG. For Gardner's side, there is a massive setback as Deandra Dottin has been ruled out of the affair due to an injury.
After winning the toss, the Gujarat Giants skipper, Ashleigh Gardner, said, "We're going to bowl. It's another fresh wicket, and we feel that we did a lot of things right the other night. Didn't get the win, but taking a lot of positives from what we were able to do in the bowling innings. Dani Gibson comes in for Deandra Dottin. It happened five minutes ago because of an injury. Really unfortunate for such a big game, but stoked for Danielle who makes her debut. It's a pretty cool opportunity and hopefully she can shine. Generally, it's high-scoring. It might be a little bit in the wicket early. Everyone's super excited."
Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur said during the time of the toss, "Yeah it's a fresh pitch (would MI have bowled first as well?). For us, anything was okay. We have been in this situation twice and know how important this game is. The only thing which works well is when you stay in the moment. One change: Parunika is not playing, and Saika is back."
Gujarat Giants (Playing XI): Beth Mooney(w), Kashvee Gautam, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner(c), Phoebe Litchfield, Danielle Gibson, Bharti Fulmali, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar, Meghna Singh, Priya Mishra
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia(w), Sajeevan Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque.
