A veteran schools a rookie, Sciver-Brunt shows her class and an Aussie rules over Capitals’ big guns as MI get back on track.
After a close defeat on the opening day of the Women’s Premier League, defending champions Mumbai Indians needed to bounce back immediately and their senior players – skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Natalie Sciver-Brunt – came to the party before an all-round bowling performance consigned Delhi Capitals to a crushing 50-run defeat on Saturday.
Veteran schools rookie
Sometimes, the difference in experience between a seasoned campaigner and a talented rookie comes to the fore at the most crucial juncture. It was the final over of the Mumbai Indians innings and they were already on a decent score, looking for the final flourish. Harmanpreet was in her flow after a relatively sedate start. Left-arm spinner Sree Charani, one of the revelations of last year’s 50-over World Cup, was in operation as Harmanpreet is considered more fluent against seam than spin.
Over the next six balls, the India captain went about dispelling that notion and schooled the 21-year-old with her improvisation. What also played into her hands was a rookie captain – Jemimah Rodrigues – being at the helm for Delhi Capitals. She kept the off-side field inside the circle for a bowler spinning the ball away from the batter. Harmanpreet didn’t need a second invitation to go inside out. The first ball was chipped over cover for two before the next two were lofted over the infield for boundaries.
5⃣0⃣ up with a MAXIMUM 🚀
Harmanpreet Kaur is on fire in Navi Mumbai 🔥
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— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 10, 2026
Realising that the tactic was not working, Jemimah brought square-leg up and pushed the cover fielder to the rope. But by this stage, Harmanpreet was toying with the bowling and the field. The next delivery, on the stumps, was swept for another four, past the fielder who had come up.
But it was the fifth ball of the over that showcased her skill. It was a full ball near the offside wide line, which the batter first shaped to sweep, before steering it past short third for the fourth consecutive boundary. The 19 runs took MI’s total from fighting to formidable.
After a narrow defeat less than 24 hours earlier, the captain had to lead from the front and she displayed her prowess, especially the signature bat-swing. The 42-ball unbeaten 74, with eight fours and three sixes, got her team back on track.
Classy operator
T20 cricket is often associated with unorthodox hitting, but Sciver-Brunt didn’t throw the manual out of the window as she helped MI recover after an early wicket. Her 46-ball 70, during which she had an eye-catching 66-run partnership off 47 balls with Harmanpreet, was a connoisseur’s delight.
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The England veteran moved around the crease but never lost her shape. Her 13 boundaries ensured that the team always had momentum on their side. Sciver-Brunt was not partial to either side of the wicket and kept fielders all around the DY Patil Stadium outfield busy. She drove, cut, swept, pulled with panache. The 33-year-old was not hesitant to take the aerial route but was always in control of her shots and knew where she wanted the ball to go.She did the bulk of the scoring in the pivotal third-wicket stand, and it was only after she returned to the dugout that Harmanpreet took over the lead role.
1⃣st fifty of the season 👌
9⃣th fifty in #TATAWPL 🙌
Natalie Sciver-Brunt has arrived in Season 4 💙
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— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 10, 2026
Aussie rules
Nicola Carey perhaps wouldn’t have featured in the XI had Hailey Matthews been available. But she made full use of the opportunity and landed the early blows from which DC couldn’t recover as they chased a stiff total.
If they had to have any chance, Shafali Verma would have had to provide the initial ballast and Laura Wolvaardt needed to play a big hand. As it turned out, Carey took care of both threats in the space of three deliveries with almost identical dismissals.
Shafali was struggling to hit the ball off the square and advanced down the pitch to Carey, aiming to hit her over mid-of. But she had not bargained for the inward movement which found the gap between bat and pad to disturb the furniture. Two balls later, Wolvaardt didn’t leave her crease but the subtle inward movement defeated the flat-footed drive to hit off-stump.
Timber Strike✖️ 2⃣
Nicola Carey outfoxes Shafali Verma and Laura Wolvaardt in the same over \|/ 😮
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— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 10, 2026
Marizanne Kapp was another big fish who could have counterpunched effectively, but after one four and a six, Carey had her slicing to short third to effectively seal the contest.
With Shabnam Ismail, Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr doing their job – the South African speedster got Jemimah for a single and the England veteran set the ball rolling with getting hard-hitting opener Lizelle Lee – there was no one for the DC top order to go after.
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But it was an Australian, a rare inclusion in the Mumbai Indians XI in WPL, who made the decisive interventions.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 195/4 (Harmanpreet 74*, Sciver-Brunt 70) beat Delhi Capitals 145 all out in 19 overs (Henry 56; Kerr 3/24, Carey 3/37) by 50 runs
