Mumbai: Speaking exclusively on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar, Mithali Raj commented on Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s partnership: “ I would say that Hayley Matthews’ innings was incredibly fluent in her shot-making. Nat Sciver-Brunt, who came in during the powerplay, maintained an excellent strike rate. At one point, she was scoring at around 180. She continues to score runs consistently, and I think that partnership was crucial for the Mumbai Indians. A target of 150 can sometimes be tricky, especially with the UP Warriorz having quality spinners. Since MI also relied heavily on spin in the first innings, we expected the UP Warriorz spinners to play a key role as well. But that partnership never looked under pressure. I felt the UP Warriorz bowlers bowled on the shorter side, which allowed Matthews and Sciver-Brunt to put Mumbai Indians in a commanding position.”
Speaking exclusively on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar, Mithali Raj commented on Amelia Kerr’s performance: “At one point, when the UP Warriorz had a strong opening partnership, it seemed like Mumbai Indians were searching for a breakthrough. But once they got that wicket, Amelia Kerr was brave enough to toss the ball up even to Kiran Navgire and Chinelle Henry. She adjusted her line to be a little wider, ensuring they couldn’t play within their preferred arc. Today, she bowled with a clear plan, adapting well to the surface and using her variations effectively. The best part was how she dismissed Deepti Sharma and Chinelle Henry—bowling with a wider line and tossing it up. As a world-class all-rounder, she has proven this season that even when she isn’t delivering with the bat, she remains a match-winner with the ball for Mumbai Indians.”
Speaking exclusively on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar, Mithali Raj commented on the animated incident between Harmanpreet Kaur and Sophie Ecclestone during the 19th over:“I believe Mumbai Indians were four minutes behind the over rate, which meant they had to bring an extra fielder inside the ring—allowing only three fielders on the boundary. Harmanpreet was likely discussing this with the umpire and reconsidering whether she would have bowled Shabnim Ismail in the 19th over had she known earlier. But I couldn’t quite figure out what Ecclestone was trying to do in that moment. As a captain, when you’re already dealing with an over-rate penalty and adjusting your field, it can be frustrating to have another player step into that conversation. I think it was just a moment of emotion.”
Speaking exclusively on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar, Mel Jones commented on UPWarriorz’s performance:“They had moments in the game where we thought, ‘Hang on, they’re really starting to turn this around.’ The opening pair of Georgia Voll and Grace Harris put on a fantastic 74-run stand for the first wicket, giving them a solid launching pad. But after that, they stumbled and struggled their way to 150. For me, the biggest takeaway was at the very end—when they suddenly picked up a couple of wickets. By then, the game was probably out of their hands, but they found a spark, some energy. That’s exactly what they needed right from the start—whether in their batting or fielding innings. If they had played with that same intensity throughout, the entire competition could have been very different for the UP Warriorz.”
