A brand-new edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) returns this weekend, bringing high-octane cricket, fierce rivalries and classic cricketers who will clash for the ultimate glory. With every team poised and prepared to leave the best impression, Mumbai Indians look to be a force to reckon with in 2025.
Having tasted glory in the inaugural edition with a loss of the barest of margins against eventual winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2024 Eliminator, the Harmanpreet-Kaur led side would be hungry to script a tale of perfect redemption. Mumbai has been diligently training at a facility in Navi Mumbai, beginning with their Indian players, while their overseas contingent is gradually joining in.
Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra believes that Harmanpreet Kaur will play a significant role if the inaugural champions want to lay their hands on the trophy once again.
“I think Harmanpreet Kaur’s role is extremely important—she’s a very good captain, and her form has been really good in the first two seasons. In the first season, she played an integral part in helping them achieve that feat. For Mumbai Indians to regain the first season’s glory, Harmanpreet’s role has to be significant,” said Chopra on Disney+ Hotstar.
The Indian captain has enjoyed 2 remarkable seasons with the bat, smashing 549 runs at an average of 45.8. The inspirational captain is an indispensable part of the group and will need to lead the team with another brilliant season with the bat.
Despite having top-tier cricketers like Nat Sciver-Brunt and Shabnim Ismail, Aakash Chopra affirms that a fully fit Pooja Vastrakar would strengthen the group even further. Pooja has been sidelined since last year’s Women’s T20 World Cup on account of injury.
“When you have stars like Shabnim Ismail and Nat Sciver-Brunt, the team will rely on them heavily. But they also have Pooja Vastrakar, and if she finds her rhythm, she can contribute immensely, as she’s a phenomenal all-rounder.”
The unit will also be served by the services of Hayley Matthews who bagged the Purple Cap (16 wickets) in a triumphant 2023 season with a staggering economy of less than 6 runs an over.
Vastrakar has been an essential part of the Indians’ starting XI, making a significant impact with the ball. Across the first two seasons of the tournament, she has claimed seven wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 7.08 in 12 innings. Her standout performance came against the Challengers, where she delivered an impressive spell of 3-0-14-2, marking her best bowling figures for the team.
Since 2024, Melie Kerr and Hayley Matthews are two of the three elite all-rounders who’ve notched 1000 runs and claimed 50 wickets in Women’s T20. These cinematic records are luxurious in franchise cricket and the team in Blue-and-Gold will adore another spectacular season from their reliable stars.
“We should consider Melie Kerr’s four overs like a bank—she’s very accurate and a proven wicket-taker. Then they have Saika Ishaque—her first season was phenomenal, but in the second season, she petered off slightly. However, she is expected to make a strong comeback. MI’s spin department might not be the best in the league, but it is certainly competent,” said popular commentator and expert Chopra.
In a historic achievement, New Zealand’s star Melie etched her name in glory by clinching the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2024 as well.
“Their batting lineup is strong and remains almost identical to seasons one and two because they have some match-winners. If you look at it from the Indian team’s perspective, they have Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia. In terms of their overseas recruits, they have three of the best all-rounders in the world.”
Mumbai’s wicketkeeper batter Yastika Bhatia will be aiming to pay back for the faith that has been instilled in her by the team management. Though she has 214 and 204 runs respectively in the first couple of seasons, the think-tank will need better performance from the southpaw to set a baked stage for the middle order batters.
The 16-year-old prodigy, G Kamalini, a wicketkeeper-batter, was put under the hammer by Mumbai for a staggering 1.60 crores amount, courtesy of her recent heroics with the bat. Kamalini finished as India’s second-highest run-scorer in the U-19 World Cup and the tournament’s third overall, scoring 143 runs at a strike rate of 104.37 with a memorable average of 35.75 across seven innings.
With a Trophy in the cabinet and a near-perfect finish in the Eliminator, the team will look to maximise each opportunity and outdo their counterparts in grand fashion.
(Quotes sourced from Disney+ Hotstar)
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