Nat Sciver-Brunt Writes WPL History with First-Ever Century, Keeps MI’s Playoff Push Alive

Sometimes a tournament waits for the right player to create its defining moment. On a warm evening in Vadodara, the Women’s Premier League finally got that moment, and it came off the bat of Nat Sciver-Brunt.

In a must-win encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Kotambi Stadium, the Mumbai Indians vice-captain became the first batter in WPL history to score a century. Her unbeaten 100 off 57 balls lifted MI to a commanding 199/4 and laid the foundation for a crucial 15-run victory that keeps their playoff hopes firmly intact.

As she raised her bat, the significance of the moment was clear. The MI dugout erupted, Jhulan Goswami celebrated like a proud mentor, and the applause from Gautami Naik in the background captured just how special the innings was. This was not just a hundred; it was a landmark that the league had been waiting for.

Ending the Nervous Nineties

The WPL has flirted with a century on several occasions, only to fall short. This season alone saw Smriti Mandhana dismissed on 96 and Sophie Devine fall on 95, extending the frustration around the elusive three-figure mark.

Sciver-Brunt was well aware of that history.

“I’d seen a few players get out in the 90s, so I didn’t want to replicate that. But I also wanted to get as many runs as possible for the team. I’m really pleased we could get up to that total.”

It was a statement that reflected her mindset: personal milestones mattered, but only in the service of the team.

An Innings Built in Phases

Mumbai Indians were wobbling early at 16/1 in the third over, continuing a trend of unstable starts. What followed was a lesson in how to construct a T20 innings under pressure.

Sciver-Brunt began with control, reading the surface and bowling lengths carefully before gradually expanding her stroke range. Once settled, she took complete ownership of the innings.

The Match-Turning Partnership

Her 131-run stand with Hayley Matthews, scored in just 73 balls, was the pivot on which the entire match turned. Matthews provided tempo; Sciver-Brunt provided structure and authority. Together, they dismantled RCB’s plans and flipped the game on its head.

After Matthews departed, Sciver-Brunt showed another side of her batting, accelerating alongside Harmanpreet Kaur in a 42-run stand off just 25 balls to ensure MI finished with maximum intent.

The Acceleration Curve

Her scoring pattern tells the story of a perfectly paced knock:

• First 17 runs: 16 balls
• 17 to 50: 16 balls (32-ball fifty)
• 50 to 100: 25 balls

It was after the first timeout that she truly took off, manipulating gaps, using the depth of the crease, and accessing areas of the field that made defending totals feel impossible.

Smriti Mandhana summed it up with honesty:

“The way she accelerated after 25–30 balls is something every youngster should watch and learn.”

A Personal Touch in a Historic Moment

After reaching her century, Sciver-Brunt made a ‘T’ gesture, a subtle but emotional tribute to her wife Katherine and their infant son Theodore.

“It’s my first T20 hundred, so I’m really happy to get over that milestone, and hopefully it’s not the last.”

For a player who has achieved almost everything in the game, this was a long-awaited personal landmark.

Respect from Both Dressing Rooms

Hayley Matthews, who shared the defining partnership, was full of praise:

“With all the innings she’s played, not just this year but over four seasons for MI, she’s probably been the best batter in this competition. It’s fitting she got the first hundred.”

Even the opposition had little choice but to admire.

Smriti Mandhana said:

“She can hit one ball in three different places. That makes life very difficult for bowlers.”

RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan added:

“She was putting away even good balls. It felt like she flicked a switch after the first timeout.”

And perhaps the most telling line:

“If anyone deserved to be the first centurion of the WPL, it was Nat.”

The Numbers That Define Her Season

She now leads the run charts comfortably, extending a legacy that already includes an Orange Cap and MVP award from last season.

A Record That Reflects Dominance

With 1,346 WPL runs, Sciver-Brunt is now the competition’s all-time leading run-scorer. Add to that the record for most fifties, and her consistency becomes impossible to ignore. The century was not an outlier; it was an overdue reward.

What This Means for the WPL

This innings changes the narrative of the league. The WPL now has its defining batting landmark, and it has been set by its most consistent performer.

For Mumbai Indians, it keeps their campaign alive. For the WPL, it raises the bar. For Nat Sciver-Brunt, it cements her status as the tournament’s benchmark batter.

This was not just a century. It was the innings that finally gave the WPL its first true batting monument.