India skipper Mithali Raj said that when she hangs up her boots after the upcoming 50-over World Cup, the squad will be far stronger with the new talent.

Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, and Harmanpreet Kaur starred with the bat as India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the fifth and final ODI here at the John Davies Oval, Queenstown.

"When I retire after this tournament, I will see that the squad is far more stronger with the upcoming new talent."

Mithali Raj said after the fifth ODI against New Zealand

Also Read: NZW vs INDW: Fifties from Mandhana, Mithali Raj, and Kaur saves a whitewash for India

"We have improved over the last few games we have played, that's a good sign before the World Cup. Was important to have the right preparation before the big tournament. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the camps in India due to the rising Omicron cases," Mithali added.

"Something that we need to work more on is our fielding," - Mithali Raj

"The wicket seemed batting friendly, but the bowlers did well today. Something that we need to work more on is our fielding. Thanks to the New Zealand cricket board for giving us this opportunity,"

Mithali Raj said

Chasing 252, India's opening pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on 29 runs. But this stand was cut short in the fifth over as Hayley Jensen got Verma on just 9 runs. Deepti Sharma and Smriti Mandhana then got together at the crease. The duo formed a 60-run stand for the second wicket.

Read Also: NZW vs INDW: Richa Ghosh scores the fastest fifty by any Indian Woman in WODIs

However, this partnership was ended by Fran Jonas as she got the wicket of Deepti (21) and this brought Harmanpreet Kaur to the middle. Mandhana and Harmanpreet put on 64 runs. But, as soon as India started to gain full control, Jensen got the wicket of Mandhana (71). India was reduced to 153/3, still, 99 runs away from the target.

Harmanpreet Kaur brought an end to her half-century drought. But with India 27 runs away from the target, Harmanpreet (63) ended up losing her wicket. However, skipper Mithali Raj (57*) and Richa Ghosh (7*) ensured that India registers a comfortable victory and save the whitewash.

Also Read: Richa Ghosh: Youngest Indian wicket-keeper to score fifty in Women's ODI

With this win, India registered their first win of the series. However, the White Ferns took the ODI series 4-1. Previously, India lose the one-off T20I on February 9.

Earlier, Amelia Kerr played a knock of 66 as New Zealand posted 251/9 in the allotted fifty overs. For India, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana returned with two wickets each.

Hello and welcome to the final day of Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025. Tonight, we will bring you the LIVE updates, news and free commentary of the Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians WPL 2025 final match, at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

Mumbai Indians qualified for the final after beating Gujarat Giants in the eliminator. Meantime, Delhi Capitals qualified for the finals for the third time in a row after topping the league chart. 

Delhi Capitals will look for their maiden Women's Premier League title while Mumbai Indians will aim for their second title after they won the trophy in the inaugural season.

So, sit back and relax as we bring you all the LIVE updates of the match to you. Enjoy the coverage. 

Mumbai Indians extended their winning streak to 5-0 against Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League as they defeated them by six wickets on Tuesday in Vadodara. The WPL 2023 champions chased down Gujarat’s 121-run target with 5 wickets in hands and 23 balls to go in the match. 

MI made two changes in the playing XI

Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and handed debut caps to two young India U-19 champions G Kamalini and Parunika Sisodia before electing to bowl first. Both Kamalini and Sisodia were part of the India team which won the U-19 Women’s World Cup earlier this year. Kamalini and Sisodia replaced Jintimani Kalita and Saika Ishaque in the playing XI for them. 

Meantime, Gujarat Giants had an unchanged XI from their win against UP Warriorz on Sunday. 

Making her debut in 𝑀𝐼 𝐵𝓁𝓊𝑒𝓈, it's #MumbaiIndians' 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 - G. Kamalini! 💙#AaliRe #TATAWPL #GGvMI pic.twitter.com/5mTfmzKbii

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2025

Great start for MI bowlers

Nat Sciver-Brunt struck early for Mumbai, dismissing Beth Mooney for 1 in the second over. In the next over Shabnim Ismail struck to dismiss Laura Wolvaardt for 4. Hayley Matthews then finished Gujarat’s top three by dismissing Dayalan Hemalatha on 9 in the next over.

At 16/3, Gujarat’s only hope was their captain Ashleigh Gardner who had struck back-to-back fifties in the first two games. But in the last over of the power play, Nat Sciver-Brunt got the big fish of Gardner on 10 and all Giants were in deep trouble. 

Harleen Deol (32 off 31) tried her best to assess the situation and take the inning as deep as she could. But, the Indian batter kept losing partners from the other end. Kashvee Gautam was the other batter who reached the 20-run mark but could only add that many runs on the board. 

Hayley Matthews finished with three wickets for 16 while Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr took two wickets each to bundle out Giants for 120 in the first inning.

Read Also | 10 Best Women's Football Players and Leagues You Must Watch in 2025

Shaky start to MI's chase

During the chase Giants got rid of Hayley Matthews (17 off 19) in the fourth over through Tanuja Kanwar to start a possible comeback. Yastika Bhatia also could only add 8 for Mumbai. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur also got out in the second ball, after striking a boundary in the first ball against Kashvee Gautam.

But, just like the first match, Nat Sciver-Brunt was the saviour with the bat for Mumbai Indians. With Amelia Kerr (19 off 20), Nat built a 45-run partnership to take Mumbai’s total to 100. 

Nat Sciver-Brunt to rescue MI

Run scoring was not that easy on that wicket but Nat Sciver-Brunt was like playing on a different surface all-together. The English all-rounder completed her second fifty of the season in 33 balls. Nat though could not finish the job as she dragged one down to the stumps from Priya Mishra on 57 from 39 balls. 

S Sajana hit the winning runs for Mumbai as they chased down the total with 23 balls remaining in the inning. With this win, they have now moved up to the number two position on the points table. 

What did the captains say after the match?

 "We just lost wickets in clumps. We put a lot of onus on the top order to score a bulk of the runs but it wasn't to be (tonight)," Gardner said in the post-match presentation. 

"Whatever we talked about in the team meetings, we executed. Really happy everything went according to our plans. The first six overs are very important. Our bowlers did a great job," Harmanpreet Kaur stated. 

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians: Match Summary

𝐌𝐈 𝟓-𝟎 𝐆𝐆 🔥

Mumbai Indians extend their lead over Gujarat Giants over 5-0 after a stunning five wickets win.

Nat Sciver-Brunt with another fifty plus score for Mumbai Indians. #GGvsMI #GujaratGiants #WPL2025 #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/WDCBgxCOBB

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 18, 2025

Harmanpreet Kaur's Mumbai Indians will take Gujarat Giants in the Match No. 5 in Women's Premier League 2025 looking for their first win of the season. Here is everything you need to know before the Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians clash in WPL 2025. 

Match Details 

Match: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians

Tournament: WPL 2025, Match No. 5

Date: 18 February 2025

Time: 7.30 pm IST

Venue: BCA Stadium, Vadodara

Streaming Details

Cricket fans from Indian can watch the Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians match LIVE on Star Sports TV Channels on Television. They can also stream the match LIVE on JioHotstar for free.

GG vs MI: Head-to-head stats in WPL

Gujarat Giants have never won against the mighty Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League history. In the 4 games they have played against Mumbai Indians, they have faced huge defeats so far. 

Team News: Gujarat Giants

Gujarat Giants under new captain Ashleigh Gardner have looked a far better side, specially as a batting unit. After scoring 201 against RCB in their first match, they chased down 144 with two overs to go against UP Warriorz in their second match. 

In both the games, captain Ashleigh Garner was the star of the show. She scored fifties in both the games and registered the feat as the first Gujarat Giants batter. With 131 runs in two matches, she is currently the Orange cap holder of WPL 2025. 

𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐏𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫

vs UPW 52 & 2/39
vs RCB 79* & 2/33

The Aussie all-rounder is loving the new captaincy role in WPL 2025!#UPWvGG #UPWvsGG #WPL2025 #GujaratGiants pic.twitter.com/Oyjho5z0pr

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 16, 2025

The bowling line up also did better in the second match, after getting bashed down against RCB in the first match. Priya Mishra was excellent with here three-wicket haul against UP Warriorz.

However, it is the all-rounder Dendra Dottin, who has been the "missing link" for them this season as the West Indian powerhouse has been solid for them. 

The Orange army would love to continue their winning run and momentum. Thus, we can expect no changes in the playing XI as well. However, toss would be a vital factor in the match as chasing has looked an easier task in Vadodara with the dew in effect. 

Team News: Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians after their defeat in the last ball of the match at the hands of Delhi Capitals would love to turn their fortunes. Harmanpreet Kaur in the post match presentation had stated that the batters who were set including herself needed to score big to get a total closer to 180 or plus. 

Nat Sciver-Brunt as usual looked by far the best batter from their team with a solid unbeaten 80 from 59 balls. However, she lacked support from the other as Mumbai were only able to put 164 on the board. They would love to have players like Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia and Amelia Kerr. 

However, Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr were superb with the ball in hand along with Shabnim Ismail. Except for Saika Ishaque, who went for 43 in her 4 overs, everyone was on point with their bowling effort. 

With only one game behind them, Mumbai are unlikely to change and chop many things this early. So, we can expect the same playing eleven against a team they have never lost. 

Read Also | Top Female Cricketers Who Are Making History

Possible lineups 

Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Dayalan Hemalatha, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwar, Sayali Satghare, Priya Mishra, Kashvee Gautam.

Mumbai Indians: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, S Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Jintimani Kalita, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque.

Fantasy Team Prediction

Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Ashleigh Gardner (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt (VC), Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwar, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered their straight second win of the WPL 2025, as they defeated telecoms by six wickets in Vadodara on Monday. Smriti Mandhana's 81 from 47 and Renuka Singh's three wickets helped them get an easy win to reach the top of the points table. RCB chased down Delhi's 142-run target with 22 balls to go and 8 wickets in hands.

Renuka and Wareham impressed for RCB with the ball

Smriti Mandhana won the toss and decided to bowl first on a wicket that was a little bit damp as per the pitch report. Renuka Singh Thakur, just like the first match, struck early to give moment term to RCB.

The Indian medium pacer dismissed dangerous Shafali Verma on a golden duck. But Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Meg Lanning made sure Delhi Capitals were off to a good start in the first inning. 

Though Lanning was steady and slow, Jemimah looked apart with shots around the ground. She hit two sixes one over the cover and one over square leg to prove her range of shots. However, it was her willingness to hit too many kinds of shots, which was the cause of her dismissal.

Despite scoring at more than 150 strike rate, Jemimah decided to play a reverse sweep and was stumped by Richa Ghosh off Georgia Wareham on 34 off 22. 

It was her wicket that gave the momentum back to RCB as Kim Garth dismissed Meg Lanning with a short ball in the next over. Except for Sarah Bryce’s 23 from 19, no Delhi Capitals batter could get a start and eventually, they were bundled out for 141 in the first inning. 

Renuka Singh won the Purple cap after here 23/3 while Georgia Wareham also took 3 for 24. Kim Garth and Ekta Bisht finished with two wickets each for RCB as well. 

𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐊𝐀 = 𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓𝐒 🔥

Renuka Singh Thakur now holds the Purple Cap of WPL 2025 after her 23/3 against Delhi Capitals.

RCB need 142 to register their second win. #DCvsRCB | #RenukaSingh | #WPL2025 | #DelhiCapitals | #RCB pic.twitter.com/3PYEPdqX6Z

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 17, 2025

Mandhana show during the chase

In the second innings, RCB captain Smirti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge gave the defending champions a solid opening start which enabled them to chase down the total easily. Their powerplay score of 57/0 gave them a solid platform to finish well. 

In a small tournament like the Women’s Premier League, where matches are less, net run rate is something every team wants to have in their kitty. RCB after a great start also wanted to have a higher net run rate against Delhi Capitals. 

Smriti Mandhana completed her first fifty of the season in 27 balls while Danni Wyatt-Hodge kept on supporting her from the other end. Soon, their partnership crossed 100 in just 62 balls to stamp their authority. 

Danni (42 off 33) was dismissed while going for a big shot against Arundhati Reddy but Mandhana kept on striking at her best to ensure RCB managed an easy win.

Delhi could have made a comeback in the match but just like last match Ellyse Perry was dropped on 1 off Jess Jonassen. They finally struck back but it was already too late for them. Shikha Pandey dismissed Mandhana while playing a scoop on 81 from 47, her highest in WPL career. However, only 9 were needed at that time. 

In the end, Richa Ghosh ended the game with a huge six to take RCB to the top of the points table with 22 balls to go in the match. 

DC vs RCB WPL 2025 Match Summary

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐂𝐁 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 🔝

Two out of two wins for the defending champions as Smriti Mandhana's 81 helped RCB beat Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets and 22 balls to go! 🔥#WPL2025 #SmritiMandhana #RCB #DCvsRCB pic.twitter.com/HWs6sT1u8S

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 17, 2025

A smashing unbeaten 64 from just 27 balls from Richa Ghosh and fifty from Ellyse Perry helped RCB break the record for the highest successful chase in WPL history in the opening game of WPL 2025 between Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Ashleigh Gardner's unbeaten 79 from 37 balls helped Gujarat Giants reach their highest-ever score of 201 in the first innings. In reply, RCB chased down the target with 9 balls to go and six wickets in hands after Richa Ghosh played one of the most devastating knocks of the tournament's history.

Gardner and Mooney show in the first inning

Smriti Mandhana won the toss and decided to feel first as the new season of the Women’s Premier League was introduced in Vadodara. Giants had a steady powerplay of 39 runs while losing only one wicket of Laura Wolvaardt (6). Laura was dismissed by Renuka Singh in the fifth over while Dayalan Hemalatha (4) was sent back to the pavilion by Kanika Ahuja in the seventh over. 

Then, it was the partnership between Captain Ashleigh Gardner and opener Beth Mooney that gave Gujarat the momentum they were looking for. Though Mooney was dismissed by Prema Rawat in the 12th over after a solid 56 from 42 balls, Gardner continued smashing the ball for fun.

Gardner along with West Indian all-rounder Deandra Dottin put up a 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket to take Gujarat Giants close to 150 with nearly four overs to go in the innings. 

The Aussie all-rounder then added 49 in the last three overs including a 20-run overs against VJ Joshitha and Georgia Wareham. Gardner remained unbeaten on 79 from 37 balls, which included 3 boundaries and 8 massive sixes. 

This was the highest score by any Gujarat Giants batter in WPL history as they scored their highest score of 201/5 in the tournament so far. Except for Renuka Singh’s 25/2, every RCB bowler was sent out of the park in the first inning. 

𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐏𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 🔥

Fifties from Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney helped Gujarat Giants put their highest score of 201 in WPL history!

The defending champions RCB will now have to chase 202 to win!#WPL2025 | #GGvsRCB | #WomensPremierLeague pic.twitter.com/OEZO9PziA6

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 14, 2025

RCB's shaky start to the chase

While chasing a big total of 202, RCB lost two early wickets, both to Ashleigh Gardner. The off-spinner first trapped Smriti Mandhana in front of the wicket on 9 and then clean bowler Danni Wyatt-Hodge on 4. 

But a great day for Aussies continued in the opening game of WPL 2025 as Ellyse Perry struck a solid partnership with Raghvi Bist to keep RCB in the chase. 

Missed chances and Perry's fifty

Perry started hitting the ball out of the middle of the bat from the start and found gaps easily. The scene would have been different for RCB if Perry had not been dropped on 20 from 14 balls by Harleen Deol at long-on in the 8th over. 

If the missed catch was not good enough to break the hearts of Giants’ fans, Beth Mooney missed a stumping of Perry four balls later. 

Perry took advantage of the missed chances by GG fielders and reached her fifty in just 27 balls. Post her fifty, Perry lost her partner Raghvi Bist (25) while going for a big shot. But, luckily for RCB, incoming batter Richa Ghosh was dropped on duck by Simran Shaikh off Priya Mishra in the 12th over of the second inning. 

Richa Ghosh with WPL's most devastating inning

Perry (57) was dismissed in the 13th over by Sayali Satghare but Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja took the game away from Gujarat Giants with some massive hits. A few miss fielding from Gujarat Giants' fielders helped RCB as well. 

Richa Ghosh completed her fifty in just 23 balls and took the game by storm. Gaints' bowlers could not just find any answer to the power-hitting of the wicket-keeper batter. Kanika Ahuja also supported her with a quick-fire unbeaten 30 from 13 balls. 

Ghosh remained undefeated on 64 from 27 balls including 7 boundaries and 4 sixes as she finished the game with a six. Eventually, RCB won the game with six wickets in hand and 9 balls to go. 

GG vs RCB Score Summary

𝐎𝐇 𝐌𝐘 𝐆(𝐇)𝐎𝐒𝐇! 🔥

Richa Ghosh's unbeaten 64 from 27 balls helps RCB with the highest successful chase in WPL history! ✅

They have chased Gujarat Giants' 202-run target with 9 balls to go!

Fire-Power from Richa 🔥#RichaGhosh #WPL2025 #rcbvgg #GGvsRCB #RCB pic.twitter.com/VTbHkTTr6J

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 14, 2025