In the aftermath of Mumbai Indians’ 7-wicket defeat to UP Warriorz in Match 8 of the WPL 2026 at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai on January 15, head coach Lisa Keightley faced the media with characteristic candour.
Despite a gritty 161/5 powered by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s record-equaling 10th WPL half-century (65 off 43) and Nicola Carey’s finishing 32* (20), Harleen Deol’s unbeaten 64* (39) and Chloe Tryon’s explosive 27* (11) steered UPW to victory with 11 balls spare, igniting their playoff push after three straight losses.
Keightley opened up on the batting powerplay struggles that have plagued MI across their four games this season. Amanjot Kaur’s promoted opening knock of 38 (33) laid a 43-run platform with Gunalan Kamalini, but early wickets left MI at 45/2 after nine overs. Sciver-Brunt’s revival, 29 runs with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (16 off 11) and an 85-run stand, pushed past 150, yet the coach pinpointed the start as a persistent flaw.
“Yeah, obviously, we would have liked a better power play than we had with the bat,” Keightley admitted, underscoring the need for sharper execution.
The overseas selection dilemma emerged as another focal point, with Mumbai boasting five elite options in Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Shabnim Ismail, Hayley Matthews and Nicola Carey for the four spots in the XI. Nicola Carey’s breakout form, now the third-highest MI run-scorer with 131 at 155.95 strike rate and second in wickets (6 at 21.16 average), has complicated matters, especially after pre-toss drama with Amanjot Kaur’s knee tweak and Sciver-Brunt’s return from illness.
Keightley embraced the “headache” of depth: “Yeah, it’s been really good to have quality overseas that gives you a headache and makes you stay up at night wondering what the right combination was. We’ve got quality players who can win like a power play, or they can win the middle overs, or they can win at the death.”
Amid the chaos, “so many things happened today,” as Keightley noted, including dew impacting bowling plans, she praised bench strength like all-rounders Kranthi Nalla Reddy and Triveni Vasistha. Reddy’s unique action and domestic promise, paired with Vasistha’s tall left-arm spin, signal future roles, especially if spin-heavy lineups or conditions demand it.
Looking ahead to the rematch against UPW on January 17 at 3:30 PM IST, the final day at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, before shifting to Vadodara, Keightley stressed bowling discipline after feeding Harleen Deol width (her wagon wheel told the tale).
Sciver-Brunt’s 2/28 removed both openers Kiran Navgire (10 off 12) and Meg Lanning (25 off 26), and Carey’s economical 0/19 shone, but execution faltered. “We just didn’t execute. We gave Deol too much width; there are plenty of things to have a look at over the next day, and we’ll come back and go again,” she vowed.
Two-time Champions Mumbai Indians, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, remain poised, but powerplay fixes and combo tweaks will test Keightley’s nous in this high-stakes double-header.
Loves all things female cricket