Mumbai overseas players made a statement in a high pressure must win game and showed why they are rated so high. They surprised the table toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru with a 15-run victory.
This might be the moment in MI’s WPL 2026 journey that might change their season narrative. They can move from uncertainty and indecision to authority. It was powered by their most trusted set of match winners.
MI aren’t accustomed to these types of circumstances where they would have to do qualification math. In the three seasons of WPL, MI emerged as winners because they played the games from a position of control in those seasons. MI is a franchise built on clarity, but now they suddenly turned experimental in their approach. Their overseas four combinations became fluid. Previously, they had settled overseas players they could depend on. This season, MI lost four games in the first six.
At this moment, the playoff hopes of MI are hanging by a thread in the tricky Vadodare conditions. Forced by an injury, MI reinstated their best foriegn quartet to get them out of a tricky situation. And it worked. Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver Brunt rescued them and helped MI defeat RCB.
Nat Sciver Brunt is one of the most consistent scorers in the WPL. She now has three 300+ scores in four WPL editions. In this game, she also ended her century drought. You should also know that she made this century at 175.44 strike rate. Typically, she likes to start slow and then tee off. However, on Monday, she took only 25 balls to go from 50 to 100.
The two top players of the game also made a superb partnership of 131 runs in this game. Hayley Mathews also marked her return to the form with a supporting 56 off just 39 balls. The pair now have four century partnerships across WPL Seasons. It can tell you how crucial this pair has been for MI.
Coming back to the game, MI were put to bat after losing the toss. It was a blessing in disguise for them. With the helps of Mathers and Sciver Brunt, MI put up a formidable 199-4 in their 20 overs.
Mathews took the momentum from the first innings and bowled beautifully. She took 3 wickets in just 2 overs and allowed only 10 runs.
Richa Ghosh (90) and Nadine de Clerk (28) tried to chase the total down but couldn’t manage. In the end, MI won the game by 15 runs.
