WPL Review: Nat Sciver-Brunt’s brilliance propels Mumbai to the top

Mumbai Indians moved to the top of the points table in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 with a comprehensive win over UP Warriorz at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, February 26.

After being invited to bat first, UP lost Kiran Navgire’s wicket in the first over. However, Grace Harris and Vrinda Dinesh used the field restrictions well and amassed 62 runs inside the powerplay. However, from 81/1, the Warriorz lost four wickets for just 12 runs as Mumbai made a remarkable comeback.

Nat Sciver-Brunt used the slower balls to good effect as she finished with a three-for. Shabnim Ismail and Sanskriti Gupta also chipped in with a couple of wickets each as UP huffed and puffed to 142/9 in their 20 overs.

In reply, Mumbai lost Yastika Bhatia in the fourth over as she scored an eight-ball duck. However, Hayley Matthews and Sciver-Brunt added 133 runs off 82 balls for the second wicket to bat UP out of the match. Matthews was dismissed with only four runs remaining for a win. Harmanpreet Kaur came out to the middle and hit a boundary off her first ball to take her team home with eight wickets and three overs to spare. Sciver-Brunt remained unbeaten on 75 off 44 balls.

Top performers of the match

Nat Sciver-Brunt – 75* off 44 balls

Nat Sciver-Brunt hit 13 fours to remain unbeaten on 75 off 44 balls. She finished with an awe-inspiring strike rate of 170.45. She didn’t spare any bowler and made light work of the target.

Nat Sciver-Brunt – 3/18

The England all-rounder used the slower balls to bamboozle the opposition batters. The pitch was holding up a bit and the slower balls were hard to hit away. Sciver-Brunt used all her experience to finish with spectacular figures of 3/18 in four overs.

What’s next for the two teams?

Mumbai will play the Delhi Capitals in their next game on Friday, February 28, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, UP Warriorz will play the Gujarat Giants on Monday, March 3.