WPL: Harmanpreet does a McCullum as Mumbai Indians thrash Gujarat Giants

Gujarat Giants' Monica Patel was at the top of her mark to deliver the third ball of the 15th over in the first innings of the Women's Premier League opening game at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday. On strike was Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. They were on 129/3 with Kaur batting on 31 from 17 balls.

Over the next eight balls, the Indian captain told the world that the WPL has arrived and is here to stay. Monica came over the wicket, creamed through cover for four, around the wicket, pulled for four, angled away, cut to the ropes, around the wicket again, and an extra cover drive followed. In the next over, a sweep, lap and a dab followed against Ashleigh Gardner as Kaur became the first player to bring up a half-century — of just 22 balls — of the WPL.

It had been 11 days since the India-Australia semifinal. However, Harmanpreet Kaur, it seems, had never left Newlands. To say that she was in her element would be an understatement. Sweeps, drives, late cuts, flicks, you name it — she played it all without once losing her shape. With, not a sellout, but a considerable amount of fans filling the stadium and chanting Har-mannn-preet Har-mannn-preet every ball, the 33-year-old took apart the Gujarat Giants bowlers with all class and precision on her way to a 30-ball 65.

While she got out eventually to Sneh Rana, Amelia Kerr (24-ball 45 n.o) after her and Hayley Matthews (31-ball 47) before her taking charge, Mumbai Indians finished the innings with a mammoth 207/5 in 20 overs.

Prior to the tournament, there was a lot of anticipation as to how will it start and why it needs someone to step up and steal the show as Brendon McCullum did back in 2008. On Thursday, when Mumbai head coach Charlotte Edwards was asked, all she had to say was that "hopefully, it will be one of our players". And on Saturday, Kaur, not just the Mumbai captain, but also the Indian skipper delivered with the bat and kicked off the inaugural edition of the WPL in style.

That is not all of it. If RCB were bundled out for 82 in the opening match 15 years ago, Gujarat were bundled out for 64/9. That Beth Mooney was retired hurt in the first over didn't help either.

The second innings, it seemed, was a bit anticlimactic as fans started leaving the stadium after the Giants lost half of their side. However, up until that point, the atmosphere was electric. It was not just Kaur who received some cheer, Issy Wong's name echoed through her run-up every delivery as the England pacer clocked 126.3 KPH on the speed gun. Jintimani Kalita who was throwing herself around on the field received a similar response from the stands. At some level, the difference between an established fanbase of an existing franchise and a new one was clearly visible.

If Kaur did a B-Mac of sorts, Saika Ishaque stole the show with a four-fer as MI registered a 143-run win in the opening game of the WPL. And that is as close to replicating what happened on April 18, 2008 (a 140-run win for KKR) as one can get. If one were to put in as many words, the Women's Premier League is off to a flying start.