India beat arch-rivals Pakistan by eight wickets and boost their chances of a semi-final berth at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Sunday.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur came much cheaper for Mumbai Indians at nearly half the price of Mandhana at Rs 1.80 crore.
Images from the WPL match between Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday
The stage is set for the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League, which will get underway in Mumbai on Saturday.
India needed just three runs from the final over but had only themselves to blame for the loss. With veteran Mithali Raj well set at the crease on 30 off 32 balls, the ODI skipper was left stranded at the other end and didn't get an opportunity to face a single delivery in the final over that was bowled by Kate Cross (2/18).
The Indian women's cricket team suffered a five-wicket defeat to England in the second T20 International, surrendering the series with a sixth straight loss in the shortest format.
Bisht returned with impressive figures of four for 25 to help Indian women defend a modest a 203-run target
'I and all the overseas players have been really impressed with the standard of the domestic players'
India's unpredictable middle-order has repeatedly squandered good starts at the women's T20 World cup. In all the three matches, the bowling unit bailed the side out.
On a high after two easy victories on the trot, including one against defending champions Australia, India will aim to inch closer to a semi-final berth when it takes on New Zealand in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, in Melbourne, on Thursday.
The Supernovas, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, have been invincible so far winning all the previous two editions.
The T20 Challenge, to be played during the IPL play-offs, will begin with last year's finalist Supernovas taking on Velocity in the opening game.
Veteran Mithali Raj's retirement from the T20 format paved the way for the induction of youngsters such as 15-year-old rookie Shafali Verma in the Indian women's team for the upcoming home T20 Internationals against South Africa.
Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav's magical spell helped India beat Australia by 17 runs in the tournament opener on Friday but the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side can't afford to take Bangladesh lightly as their eastern neighbours had beaten them twice in the 2018 T20 Asia Cup.
Indian women's team was dealt a big blow after vice-captain and premier batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the upcoming limited overs series against England with an ankle injury.
The Indians are in red-hot form, but history favours England, who have won all the five WT20 matches played between the two sides, when they meet in the semi-finals of the ICC women's World Cup on Thursday.
Team India needs to ensure that the frequent middle-order collapses are not repeated in the showpiece event.
Ekta Kapoor's little son Ravie turned one on January 26, and she threw a party to celebrate the big day.
All that's transpired on and off the cricket pitch on Wednesday.
Mandhana became the number one ODI batter in the ICC Women's Rankings last month following her exemplary run of form.
The 21-year-old Molineux, who plays for Melbourne Renegades in the Women's Big Bash League, has requested for a break and will not be travelling with the Renegades squad to Ballarat for their match against Melbourne Stars on Saturday.
Meg Lanning's Australia, long the benchmark in women's cricket, will bid for a record-extending fifth T20 World Cup title after a rocky ride to their sixth final. Harmanpreet Kaur-captained India arrive at the MCG undefeated and without having bowled a ball in the rained-out semi-final against England.