Defending champions Mumbai Indians have appointed 41-year-old former Australia leg-spinner Kristen Beams as their spin bowling coach for the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), set to run from January 9 to February 5, 2026.
This strategic move ahead of the tournament opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, signals Mumbai’s intent to refine their championship formula. Beams joins a revamped support staff, blending her international experience with the franchise’s winning culture as they aim for a third title in four seasons.
The WPL shifts to a fresh January-February window for the first time, with the initial phase at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the second at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
Mumbai, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, dominated the inaugural 2023 edition and clinched their second crown in 2025, while RCB under Smriti Mandhana ended a 17-year title drought in 2024. Delhi Capitals, runners-up in all three prior seasons under then skipper Meg Lanning, saw Lanning switch to UP Warriorz for ₹1.90 crore in the November 27, 2025, mega auction in New Delhi.
Ahead of the mega auction in November, MI retained a core of five players, Harmanpreet Kaur (₹2.5 crore), Nat Sciver-Brunt (₹3.5 crore), Hayley Matthews (₹1.75 crore), Amanjot Kaur (₹1 crore), and G Kamalini (₹50 lakh), entering with a ₹5.75 crore purse. Harmanpreet was present at the table, where they made a marquee ₹3 crore splash on White Ferns all-rounder Amelia Kerr, whose heroics fueled Mumbai’s titles, leaving ₹2.75 crore for nine slots.
Patience paid off in a high-stakes auction without Right to Match cards. They snagged South African speedster Shabnim Ismail for ₹60 lakh and explosive finisher Sajeevan Sajana for ₹75 lakh early, then pounced late for Nicola Carey (₹30 lakh), Saika Ishaque (₹30 lakh), Milly Illingworth (₹10 lakh), Sanskriti Gupta (₹20 lakh), and others like Rahila Firdous, Triveni Vasistha, Poonam Khemnar, and Nalla Reddy.
Mumbai Indians Squad for WPL 2026:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, Rahila Firdous, Nicola Carey, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Triveni Vasistha, Poonam Khemnar, Nalla Reddy, Milly Illingworth, Saika Ishaque
Beams, who played one Test, 30 ODIs, and 18 T20Is for Australia from 2014-2017 and featured for Melbourne Stars in Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), transitions from coaching stints in WBBL, The Hundred, and Australia’s U19 team. She joins head coach Lisa Keightley (replacing Charlotte Edwards, now with England women), bowling coach Jhulan Goswami, batting coach Devika Palshikar, and fielding coach Nicole Bolton, marking Keightley’s first Mumbai’s season after three with Delhi Capitals.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to work with someone like Jhulan Goswami, one of the greats of the game, somebody I played cricket against,” Beams shared on Mumbai Indians Instagram.
“(It’s an) incredible culture that they’ve developed a winning culture over a really long period of time, but a family that’s what you hear everyone talk about, that this group is so tight-knit, and it’s a family, and it’s what you want to be a part of. And I think as a coach coming in, that’s exactly what you want to be able to do, is to walk into an environment that feels really tight-knit, and a team that knows how to win.”
With Mumbai kicking off against RCB on January 9 at 7:30 PM IST, Beams’ expertise could sharpen spinners like Saika Ishaque amid evolving women’s cricket dynamics. Fans eagerly await how this reloaded squad and staff defend their crown, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur at the helm.
Loves all things female cricket