Nat Sciver-Brunt will sit out Trent Rockets' first two matches of The Hundred 2026 to manage the calf injury that has disrupted her entire summer (BBC Sport).

The 33-year-old all-rounder — a right-handed batter and right-arm seamer who has become one of England's most important players across all formats — originally suffered the injury playing domestic cricket for The Blaze in April. It has been a persistent problem ever since, forcing her to miss England's early T20 series against New Zealand and India in May and a group-stage match at the T20 World Cup in June. During that tournament, she could only play as a specialist batter, unable to bowl because of the calf.

England went on to reach the T20 World Cup final at Lord's, where Australia beat them. Their next assignment is a three-match one-day international series against Ireland, starting 1 September.

Trent Rockets begin their Hundred campaign — the 100-ball-per-side competition that condenses cricket into fast, high-scoring contests — on Friday against Birmingham Phoenix at 15:00 BST. They play London Spirit on Sunday in their second fixture. Both matches will take place without Sciver-Brunt, who was retained by the Rockets for the 2026 season at a salary of £140,000 (The Hundred).

Sciver-Brunt previously captained the Rockets but stepped down from the role in 2025, shortly after taking on the England leadership. Her wife, former England bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt, was recently appointed as the Rockets' assistant coach — meaning the couple will be involved with the same franchise this season, though Nat's absence from the opening matches keeps them apart on the pitch for now.

Katherine, 41, retired from professional cricket in 2023 and has since worked as a broadcaster with BBC Test Match Special. The couple welcomed their son Theo in 2025, with Katherine having carried the child. She told Sky Sports that she experiences "mum guilt" about balancing her coaching ambitions with parenting, and that a year-round county head coach role would not fit with her family responsibilities. She also said she would love to be a franchise head coach one day (BBC Sport).

For now, that coaching journey begins in an assistant capacity at the Rockets, while Nat works her way back to full fitness. The structure of The Hundred — eight league matches before the knockout stage — gives players a narrow window to make an impact. Missing the first two means Sciver-Brunt would have at most six matches to influence the Rockets' push for the eliminator, assuming she returns for the third fixture.

England women's head coach Charlotte Edwards, who previously coached Southern Brave, will also be monitoring the situation closely. England's series against Ireland in September is the next international commitment, and Sciver-Brunt's fitness for that campaign will depend on how the calf holds up under match intensity in The Hundred.

Lisa Keightley, head coach of MI London, is currently the only female head coach in the 2026 edition of The Hundred — a detail that adds context to Katherine Sciver-Brunt's stated ambition to move into a top coaching role.