Harleen Deol scripts UP Warriorz's first win of WPL 2026

Harleen Deol scripted a fantastic turnaround barely 24 hours after being retired out by starring in UP Warriorz's first victory of the season. Deol hit an unbeaten half-century (64* off 39) to guide her side home and open their account this season as UP Warriorz beat Mumbai Indians comfortably by 7 wickets. Her efforts ensured Nat Sciver-Brunt's all-round display went in vain.

Batting first, MI got off to a wobbly start in the PowerPlay despite not losing a wicket. Amanjot Kaur, opening the batting tonight, farmed most of the strike in the first six overs and found the boundary in every single over barring one. But with her dot ball percentage being on the higher side and with G Kamalini not ticking off, MI made only 32 in the first six. With pressure mounting, Amanjot attempted to break free and fetched a couple of fours but couldn't add to that as she found the fielder to fall for 38. Kamalini's erratic stay then came to an end in the very next over when she was sent back for a 12-ball 5.

These two wickets once again put the onus on the experienced duo of Harmanpreet Kaur and Sciver-Brunt. Only by the end of the 11th over did MI's run rate go past six. Harmanpreet teed off with a couple of boundaries and a six but just when she was looking in ominous touch, an excellent diving catch from Chloe Tryon sent her back. Sciver-Brunt and Nicola Carey had a massive job ahead of them at the end of the 13th over when MI were stuttering at 86 for 2.

The run rate received a massive push in the final seven overs thanks majorly to Sciver-Brunt as she first launched an assault against Asha Sobhana before Carey took apart Tryon for four boundaries in a single over. Sciver-Brunt then hammered five boundaries over the next two overs to bring up a sparkling fifty before the Warriorz made amends in the final two overs. Despite those efforts, MI managed to almost double the total they had on the board after 13 overs.

Chasing 162, Warriorz's PowerPlay mirrored MI's for a while before Meg Lanning smashed Sciver-Brunt for a six and a four that helped her side knock off 42 runs in the first six overs. But immediately after the timeout, the English international staged a strong comeback by dismissing both the openers in the same over. Harleen Deol however was unperturbed and hit her first ball for a boundary before adding three more in the next two overs to race to 18 off just 9. Phoebe Litchfield on her part hit a couple of boundaries as well before slamming Amelia Kerr for a six over long on to put Warriorz in command at the halfway mark.

Deol continued to make merry as she spoiled Shabnim Ismail's figures by hammering three boundaries in her final over. At the other end though, MI managed to keep Litchfield subdued after her initial assault and that pressure eventually resulted in the Australian miscuing one to depart at a crucial juncture. At that stage. Warriorz needed 44 from 30. Sanskriti Gupta, who had delivered two tight overs, gave Deol the release she needed by bowling a no-ball and the resulting free-hit was dispatched for a boundary to bring up a fifty. Deol found the boundary a couple of more times in the same over before Tryon took charge. The South African went on a rampage striking four boundaries and a huge six in an unbeaten cameo that eased things in the end for chasing side to prevail in the penultimate over.

Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 161/5 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 65, Amanjot Kaur 38; Shikha Pandey 1/25) lost to UP Warriorz 162/3 in 18.1 overs (Harleen Deol 64*, Chloe Tryon 27*; Nat Sciver-Brunt 2/28) by 7 wickets