A 119-run partnership between MegLanning and Phoebe Litchfield set up a second successive win for UP Warriorz (UPW) against Mumbai Indians (MI) as they continued their bounceback after starting the season with a hat-trick of defeats.

Put in to bat, Lanning and Litchfield hit fifties before MI managed to restrict them to 187 for 8. However, a rejigged batting line-up faltered in the chase as the defending champions succumbed to their third defeat of the season in their last game in Navi Mumbai. UPW became just the second team to do the league double over MI in the WPL, after Delhi Capitals last year, also led by Lanning.

Nicola Carey, opening the bowling with Shabnim Ismail rested, continued her great form in WPL 2026 as she cleaned up Kiran Navgire for a golden duck with an inswinging yorker that beat the batter all ends up. But Lanning ensured a good powerplay for UPW.

After Litchfield picked up her first boundary courtesy an inside edge through backward square, Lanning got going with a pick-up flick off Carey that went all the way as 12 runs came off the third over. She then swept Nat Sciver-Brunt through square leg before picking up two more boundaries off Carey.

When Hayley Matthews was introduced in the sixth over, Litchfield first drove her through cover before Lanning hit back-to-back boundaries to take UPW to 56 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.

After a quiet eighth over bowled by Amelia Kerr, Litchfield was on 18 off 16 and needing to pick up the tempo. Next over, she square drove Amanjot Kaur for four before skipping down the track to loft her over long-off.

Lanning reached her half-century off 35 balls in the next over, hammering Kerr over long-off to get there. Litchfield, who Kerr had dismissed eight times in T20s, also lofted her over her head for a boundary as the two Australians started to pick up the pace. A quiet over followed, courtesy Sciver-Brunt, which also saw Triveni Vasisht drop Litchfield, but Litchfield and Lannning both picked up a boundary each off Sanskriti Gupta.

In a two-over period of frenzy that followed, UPW racked up 34 runs but lost both their set batters. Litchfield first just beat Carey running to her left at deep midwicket as she swept Amanjot for six and then brought up a 33-ball half-century with a cover drive. When Amanjot went short, Litchfield pulled her for another boundary through midwicket. She then chipped one to cover, where she was given another life, this time by Harmanpreet Kaur. Litchfield picked up another six off long-off to make it a 20-run over before a pick-up flick found deep backward square, where Sanskriti held on this time.

Lanning didn’t want to release any pressure and took on Matthews next over, putting away a couple of short balls for back-to-back fours. She swept the spinner for another boundary before picking out deep square leg to finish on 70 off 45.

After a period of 12 balls without a boundary after Lanning’s departure, Chloe Tryon launched a six over long-off. Tryon and Harleen Deol kept the boundaries coming as they picked up 23 runs off the next two overs.

But, MI’s star overseas allrounders then dampened the finish for UPW. First, Sciver-Brunt started the 19th over with back-to-back wickets. Tryon sliced a full toss to cover, where Harmanpreet made amends by holding on to the catch before Shweta Sehrawat was caught behind first ball. She got a thin edge that popped up off G Kamalini’s gloves but she did well to grab it in the second attempt.

Deol hit another boundary before missing a legbreak from Kerr in the final over to be out stumped. Kerr then also had Sophie Ecclestone stumped and Deepti Sharma caught behind to give away only two runs in the final over and restrict UPW to 187 for 8.

MI came into the game with the second worst average for the opening partnership  and the worst run rate. On Saturday, they tried their fourth different combination of the season, with Sajeevan Sajana partnering Matthews. Matthews started well, with a three boundaries through the off side off Kranti Gaud and Shikha Pandey.

Sajana got into the action in the third over, pulling Gaud for six over midwicket before getting an outside edge for four. But, Gaud came back strong by trapping her in front to give UPW the first breakthrough.

Ecclestone then nearly had Matthews lbw, choosing not to review after the batter missed a sweep, even though it looked close. But it didn’t matter as Matthews chipped the next ball back to Ecclestone, who went on to bowl a wicket maiden.

Sciver-Brunt then got a couple of boundaries off Gaud and Harmanpreet was crafty in gliding one between backward point and short third off Ecclestone, but they only managed 38 runs in the first six, continuing their trend of slow starts.

Sciver-Brunt, who was looking in great touch, hit Pandey straight to Lanning at cover in the first over after the powerplay as MI’s job got harder. Then Deepti, who bowled a quiet first over, had Carey miscuing one down the ground and Deol took a good catch running back from mid-on.

Harmanpreet, who was struggling to get going, pulled Tryon for a six over midwicket but fell in the same over trying the same shot. Having lost half their side and needing to score at over 13 runs an over, it was effectively game over for MI.

Kerr and Amanjot tried to mount a comeback, with an 83-run stand that saw the latter hammer three sixes, but they could not keep up with the asking rate. Amanjot offered a return catch to Pandey in the penultimate over and MI ended up 22 runs short.

Brief scores:
UP Warriorz Women 187 for 8 in 20 overs (Meg Lanning 70, Phoebe Litchfield 61, Harlene Deol 25, Chloe Tryon 21; Nicola Carey 1-38, Amelia Kerr 3-28, Nat Sciver-Brunt 2-22, Hayley Maththews 1-40, Amanjot Kaur 1-38) beat Mumbai Indians Women 165 for 6 in 20 overs (Hayley Maththews 13, Sajeevan Sajana 10, Nat Sciver Brunt 15, Harmanpreet Kaur 18, Amelia Kerr 49*, Amanjot Kaur 41; Kranti Gaud 1-38, Shikha  Pandey 2-30, Sophie Ecclestone 1-33, Deepti Sharma 1-35, Chloe Tryon 1-18) by 22 runs

[Cricinfo]