Image Credit- PTI
Harmanpreet Kaur,
the captain of the Mumbai Indians, feels that her wicket was the decisive
factor in their five-run defeat that eliminated them from the WPL 2024. Mumbai,
with Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr batting and seven wickets in hand, were in
control of their 136 chase, needing 16 runs off 13 balls.
However, after Sophie Molineux gave up just four runs in the 19th over and
removed S Sajana, Harmanpreet holed out to long-on at the end of the 18th over,
making it 12 off six for the remainder of the Mumbai lineup.
“In 12 balls we
just needed one boundary and we were not able to get it,” Harmanpreet said
after the match. “That is what this game always teaches you. It puts you
under pressure and you have to keep learning from it.
“When we lost my wicket, after that our batters could not hold their
nerve, that was the turning point.”
Mumbai had held RCB
to 135 runs, which under the circumstances seemed doable, particularly
considering that at the midway point, Mumbai was 60 for 2 and needed 76 from
60. After Nat Sciver-Brunt fell in the eleventh over, Harmanpreet and Kerr
guided them with a consistent partnership of 52, which saw them hit regular
boundaries by the fifteenth over. After Harmanpreet avoided a stumping
opportunity off Shreyanka Patil after Richa Ghosh was unable to collect the
ball cleanly, they went from 43 off 30 to 20 off 18. However, Sophie Devine
caught Harmanpreet at long on after Patil had him caught five balls later.
“We fought really hard,” Harmanpreet said. “This season has been
a little up and down for us. Last season as a team we did really well but this
time our performance was little up and down. But we learned a lot this season
and hopefully next season we prepare really well and come [back] hard.”
Harmanpreet,
however, praised Sajana who had hit a stunning six off her first ball of the
WPL in the opening game of the season to register a last-ball win against Delhi
Capitals.
“We got SS (Sajana) during this tournament, she is someone who can hit the
ball really hard,” Harmanpreet said of their find of the year. “And
that is what we want the WPL to do, to create more young players and it’s good
to see young girls are coming and giving their 100%.