At the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai Indians Women made a powerful statement in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, defeating Delhi Capitals Women by 50 runs in Match 3 of the season. The spotlight shone on captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who partnered up after a rocky start to lead Mumbai to a total that proved too much for Delhi to chase down.
Mumbai faced an uphill battle right from the start after being put in to bat. The usually reliable Amelia Kerr was dismissed for a golden duck, caught by Lizelle Lee off Chinelle Henry’s second delivery, leaving the side at a shaky 1/2. Keeper Gunalan Kamalini contributed a modest 16 runs before falling to Lee off Nandani Sharma’s bowling, and suddenly, Mumbai found themselves at 2/51 after just six overs.
Nat Sciver-Brunt steadied the ship with her precise batting. She struck her way to a solid 70 runs off 46 balls, hitting 13 boundaries, with an impressive strike rate of 152.17. She formed a crucial 66-run partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur, turning the tide in Mumbai’s favour. Sciver-Brunt eventually fell, caught by Jemimah Rodrigues off Sree Charani in the 14th over as Mumbai reached 117.
Harmanpreet Kaur played a brilliant captain’s innings, finishing with 74 not out from 42 balls, including eight boundaries and three sixes. Her ability to accelerate the score in the last five overs made a significant impact. Nicola Carey provided valuable support with a brisk 21 off 12 balls before falling to Nandani Sharma at 170. Sajeevan Sajana wrapped up the innings with an unbeaten 5 as Mumbai set a formidable target of 195/4.
Delhi’s bowlers struggled to find their rhythm, with Nandani Sharma being the standout performer, taking 2 wickets for 26 runs in four overs. Chinelle Henry and Sree Charani both chipped in with a wicket each but couldn’t contain the runs effectively, while Marizanne Kapp and Sneh Rana ended up wicketless.
Chasing a challenging total of 196, Delhi needed a good start but crumbled instead. Lizelle Lee was out for 10, caught by Sciver-Brunt off Shabnim Ismail’s bowling, leaving them at 1/15. Shafali Verma followed shortly after, bowled by Carey at 2/32. Laura Wolvaardt managed a brief innings of 9 runs before she too was bowled by Carey.
Jemimah Rodrigues could only muster 1 run before falling to Ismail, and Delhi found themselves in trouble at 4/33. Marizanne Kapp attempted to turn things around with a few boundaries but was dismissed at 5/46, further deepening the collapse.
Niki Prasad (12 off 18) and Chinelle Henry tried to build some resistance. Henry was the standout for Delhi, scoring 56 off 33 balls, which included five fours and three sixes. Yet, consistent wickets fell, and the scoreboard read 145 all out in just 19 overs after Nandani Sharma was dismissed for 10 runs.
Mumbai’s bowlers were relentless, with Nicola Carey taking 3 wickets for 37 runs, Amelia Kerr supporting her with 3 for 24, while Nat Sciver-Brunt also shone with 2 for 29. Shabnim Ismail showcased her pace with 1 for 14, contributing to a strong team effort.
In the end, Delhi fell 50 runs short, bowled out for 145. It was a dominant performance from Mumbai, with Harmanpreet’s brilliant unbeaten 74 and Sciver-Brunt’s all-round excellence ensuring they walked away with the win and a head start in the tournament.
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