WPL: MI register dominating win over table toppers RCB, Nat-Sciver Brunt shines

VADODARA: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Richa Ghosh’s 90-run knock went in vain as her side suffered a 15-run defeat against the two-time champions Mumbai Indians in match 16th of the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season.

With this crucial win, the Mumbai Indians stay alive in the tournament, whereas the Bengaluru-based franchise suffered their second consecutive defeat. Chasing a daunting target of 200, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were off to a decent start, scoring 20/0 in two overs.

However, Mumbai Indians speedster Shabnim Ismail dismissed opener Grace Harris (15) during the first ball of the third over. In the next over, spinner Hayley Matthews dismissed captain Smriti Mandhana (6) and Georgia Voll (9) as Bengaluru slumped to 31/3.

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Natalie Sciver-Brunt, forever etched in the history books

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To make things worse, Ismail removed Gautami Naik (1) during the first ball of the fifth over as RCB reached 35/4. Matthews picked up her third wicket in the first powerplay after she removed Radha Yadav for a two-ball duck as RCB crawled to 40/5. After the 10th over, RCB reached 70/5. During the first ball of the 12th over, spinner Amelia Kerr dismissed in-form Nadine de Klerk for 28 runs.

After the end of the 15th over, RCB crawled to 108/6. During the 17th over, Amanjot Kaur removed Arundhati Reddy (14) and Sayali Satghare was run out for the golden duck as RCB slumped to 129/8. Towards the end, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh (90 off 50 deliveries, 10 fours and six towering sixes went in vain as Bengaluru suffered a 15-run defeat after they reached 184/8 in 20 overs.

Batting first, Nat-Sciver Brunt’s first-ever century in WPL and her 131-run stand with Hayley Matthews helped the Mumbai Indians post a competitive score of 199/4. It was Nat, the top run-getter in the tournament’s history, who got to raise her bat for the first-ever WPL century in just 57 balls, and after an early wicket, it was her brutal hitting with Hayley which powered MI to a competitive total.

Openers Hayley Matthews and Sajeevan Sajana started off with a boundary each in the first two overs. But it was Lauren Bell who got the last laugh, trapping Sajana lbw for seven in seven balls. MI was 16/1 in 2.2 overs. Nat-Sciver Brunt joined Hayley, and they got a boundary each against Lauren and Sayali Sathghare, but MI ended powerplay on a cautious note at 38/1 in six overs, with Hayley (17*) and Brunt (11*).

Nat eased off some pressure with boundaries against Nadine de Klerk and Shreyanka Patil, bringing up MI’s fifty in 7.1 overs. In the ninth over, it was Hayley’s turn to take the attack, smashing two against Nadine and a four against Radha Yadav in the next. Halfway through their innings, MI was 76/1, with Hayley (34*) and Nat (31*) unbeaten. In the 11th over, she continued her assault on Nadine, first with a six over deep mid-wicket and then a four through the deep.

In Shreyanka’s 12th over, Brunt got a hat-trick of fours while Matthews ended the over with a loft over cover for four. Brunt also completed her fifty in 32 balls, with seven fours and a six. This was her fourth fifty of the season. Also, MI reached 100 runs in 11.4 overs. In all, this over gave away 18 runs.

RCB had to bear the Brunt literally as she hammered Radha for three fours in the next over, with 16 more runs leaking. The century partnership was up in just 61 balls.

In the 14th over by Arundhati Reddy, Hayley reached the half-century mark in 34 balls, with eight fours. In the 15th over, Lauren came in clutch, cleaning up Hayley for 56 in 39 balls, with nine fours. The 131-run stand was undone, and MI was 147/2 in 14.3 overs. While RCB’s bowlers were getting hammered, Lauren ended her spell with tidy figures of 2/21 in four overs, continuing her stunning run in the tournament.

The scoreboard continued to tick as in Sayali’s 18th over, Nat collected one four, while Harmanpreet Kaur, the skipper, got two successive fours. 15 runs came in the over, taking the score to 184. Nadine came through with a breakthrough in the penultimate over, with skipper Harman hitting the ball straight to Georgia Voll near the ropes for 20 in 12 balls (with two fours and a six). MI was 189/3 in 18.4 overs.

Nat Sciver made history, completing the first-ever century of the tournament’s history in 57 balls and how fitting it was that the tournament’s leading run-getter of all time did it. The knock was laced with 16 fours and a six. But on the next ball, Amanjot Kaur was dismissed for just four by Shreyanka. MI was 198/4 in 19.5 overs.

MI ended at 199/4 in 20 overs, with Nat (100*) and Amelia Kerr (1*) unbeaten. Lauren (2/21) was sensational in her four overs, while Nadine (1/40) had to face some brutal hitting from Brunt in her four-over spell. Shreyanka also took 1/34 in three overs. (ANI)