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WPL 2026: Harman, Sciver-Brunt set up MI’s big win over Capitals
Mumbai Indians secured a 50-run win against Delhi Capitals in the Women's Premier League, led by Harmanpreet Kaur's unbeaten 74.
Navi Mumbai: Nat Sciver-Brunt went down on one knee. As she did, in a swift and fluid motion she brought her bat down and up in a perfect ark. It looked a perfect shot, but the connection on the ball let her down. The attempted heave over the infield saw her shot give Jemimah Rodrigues, standing at cover, a simple catch.
It ended her innings on 70 off 46, as Mumbai Indians lost their third wicket against Delhi Capitals in their Women’s Premier League match on Saturday.
Three balls later in the 15th over, Mumbai captain Harmanpreet Kaur went down on one knee and played a near identical stroke. The only difference was Kaur guided the ball along the DY Patil Stadium surface and through the narrow gap between cover and point to the boundary. Kaur was on 27 off 21 before that shot. But it began a display of batting prowess that would eventually take her to an unbeaten 74 off 42, and Mumbai Indians to 195/4.
Mumbai sealed a 50-run win after Delhi Capitals were bowled out for 145, handing them their first win of the season after the defending champions lost Friday’s opening game. Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Mumbai by three wickets in the opener, but the team in blue put aside the loss in the less-than-24-hour turnover to get on the board.
The contest between Mumbai and Delhi often tends to transcend sport. On a cool January evening in Navi Mumbai, the match also put forth a generational contest. Leading the Mumbai team was the 36-year-old Kaur, the India captain. Her opposite number was 25-year-old Rodrigues, who was serving as captain of her team for the first time.
In time, Rodrigues could well become skipper of the national team. On Saturday though, she got a lesson on the art of leadership.
As is a regular feature with her, Kaur led her team from the front. Making the right bowling changes and setting the field accurately, Mumbai choked the Delhi batting.
Chasing a big target, Delhi never really got going. They lost both openers in the fifth over. Shafali Varma was bowled by a Nicola Carey off-cutter, and two balls later she also breached the defence of the other opener, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, who was a prolific scorer in last year’s ODI World Cup. Rodrigues then was caught behind slashing at one which left her, falling to a stunning, one-handed diving effort by wicketkeeper Gunalan Kamalini.
Suddenly, Delhi were down to 33/4.
The only resistance from Delhi came through Chinelle Henry, whose 56 off 33 balls had five boundaries and three sixes. While the Jamaican tried to keep her team in the chase, she lost partners at regular intervals.
Apart from Henry’s innings, Delhi never quite got going – five of their batters were dismissed for single digit scores. At the same time, the Mumbai bowling attack remained composed and disciplined in their display. All this after a solid batting performance that set the team up for the win.
In the first innings, Sciver-Brunt took the initiative early, reaching her half-century in just 32 deliveries. Kaur meanwhile played a steadier role to begin with.
She took her time to settle down, but Mumbai were in danger of getting into trouble because of a slow run-rate – at 12.5 overs, the team was on 91/2.
Suddenly, the skipper switched gears. In the next 24 balls, the duo scored 24 runs. And after Sciver-Brunt departed, the Indian skipper kept up the scoring.
That switch of gears, perhaps, is where the match was won.
