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Nat Sciver-Brunt for MI - (Source: AFP)
On Tuesday, January 13, Mumbai Indians locked horns against Gujarat Giants in match six of WPL 2026 at the Dr Dy Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Both teams are fresh off a win and the winner will take the top spot after the match.
At the toss, the coin flipped in Harmanpreet Kaur's favour and the defending champions opted to field first in an important clash. Both teams made changes, but Mumbai Indians had to make a tough choice as they are without Nat Sciver-Brunt, which is a heavy blow.
Notably, the 33-year-old fell sick and couldn't recover in time for Mumbai Indians' third WPL game. "Hayley is fit and she is back. Unfortunately, Nat is unwell today. Hayley does well with bat and ball and hopefully, she can take the responsibility for the team," remarked Harmanpreet Kaur at the toss.
Why is Nat Sciver-Brunt's absence a big blow to Mumbai Indians?
The star all-rounder was Mumbai Indians' star during their massive win over Delhi Capitals. The right-handed batter has amassed 74 runs in two innings, averaging 37. Further, she has batted at a strike-rate of 151.02 and scored 70 (46) against the Capitals.
Even with the ball, Brunt picked up a couple of wickets against Delhi Capitals and registered the figures of 2/29 in three overs. Therefore, Brunt's absence is a big blow at the top and it disrupts the entire combination for the defending champions.
Who has Hayley Matthews replaced in Mumbai Indians' line-up?
For the unversed, Hayley Matthews missed the first couple of matches because of injury. However, the 27-year-old returns back in the playing XI in place of Nat Sciver-Brunt. It is a big boost for Mumbai Indians because Matthews has performed for the Indians in the past and was one of the key contributors behind MI's second WPL title in 2025.
Talking about Hayley's stats in WPL 2025, the 27-year-old amassed 307 runs in 10 innings, averaging 30.70. She slammed three fifties and caused a headache to the opposition with her explosive batting.
