As the Women’s Premier League (WPL) gears up for its fourth edition from January 9 to February 5, 2026, with the first phase at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the second at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, the Mumbai Indians enter as two-time champions under skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Having won the inaugural 2023 title and the 2025 edition.
In the 2024 edition, their journey ended in the knockout stages of the tournament. Mumbai retained a powerhouse core of 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) ahead of the November 27, 2025, mega auction in New Delhi. With a ₹5.75 crore purse, they splashed ₹3 crore on Amelia Kerr, added steals like Shabnim Ismail (₹60 lakh) and Sajeevan Sajana (₹75 lakh), and patiently nabbed Nicola Carey (₹30 lakh), Saika Ishaque (₹30 lakh), Milly Illingworth (₹10 lakh), and Sanskriti Gupta (₹20 lakh) to complete a 16-player squad featuring four overseas stars.
Mumbai Indians WPL 2026 Squad:
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 Illngworth, Saika Ishaque
Mumbai Indians SWOT Analysis for WPL 2026
Under new head coach Lisa Keightley, this blend of proven winners and emerging talent positions Mumbai for a third title chase amid fierce rivalry from finalists Delhi Capitals.
Strengths: A Lethal All-Round Core and Leadership Edge
Mumbai Indians boast an enviable all-round nucleus that has powered their past triumphs, making them perennial contenders. The likes of Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Nicola Carey, and Sajeevan Sajana offer batting firepower, spin variety, and seam options, allowing skipper Harmanpreet Kaur to deploy flexible strategies across phases at DY Patil and Kotambi. Kaur’s auction-table presence secured Kerr’s heroics, pivotal in Mumbai’s titles, for ₹3 crore, while retentions like Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai’s top earner) and Matthews ensure stability. Shabnim Ismail’s fierce pace at ₹60 lakh adds X-factor, complementing Saika Ishaque’s left-arm spin and Kerr’s leg-spin wizardry.
Off-field, Lisa Keightley’s arrival injects tactical innovation post-Charlotte Edwards’ move to England, building on a championship nucleus. She is joined by Kristen Beams as a spin bowling coach in the support staff for the upcoming season. India’s second-highest scorer (143 runs at 104.37 strike rate, average 35.75, two fifties) in the 2025 U19 T20 World Cup, with a boundary on WPL debut and recent maiden international exposure against Sri Lanka, G Kamalini is likely to open the innings alongside Hayley Matthews. This depth, blending experience (Kaur’s World Cup-winning captaincy) with youth, fuels Mumbai’s title pedigree.
Weaknesses: Pace Attack and Workload Concerns
Despite auction smarts, Mumbai’s pace bowling lacks backups beyond Shabnim Ismail, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amanjot Kaur. Sciver-Brunt’s injury history limited her to batting in the pre-ODI World Cup season. She hardly bowled her complete quota of overs during the World Cup. Ismail, a global match-winner, retired from internationals, potentially impacting stamina in a condensed tournament. Milly Illingworth adds seam variety cheaply (₹10 lakh), but the trio’s over-reliance risks exposure on batter-friendly pitches like DY Patil. Squad fillers like Rahila Firdous, Triveni Vasistha, Poonam Khemnar, and Nalla Reddy bring domestic promise but unproven WPL impact, stretching thin the lower order and fielding.
Opportunities: Youth Surge and Venue Mastery
Mumbai can capitalise on emerging talents like G Kamalini, fresh off her India T20I debut (12 off 12 vs. Sri Lanka on December 30, 2025), and Sanskriti Gupta to nurture depth. Auction patience yielded Nicola Carey (₹30 lakh) for middle-order muscle and Milly Illingworth for overseas seam balance, ideal for Kotambi’s second phase. Keightley’s coaching and Kaur’s leadership, fresh from India’s ODI World Cup glory, offer tactical edges against rivals like Delhi Capitals, perennial runners-up. Home-like dominance at DY Patil (2025 final venue) and adapting to Vadodara positions Mumbai to exploit rivals’ auction missteps in a four-overseas-slot setup.
Threats: Injury Vulnerabilities
Delhi Capitals loom large as three-time finalists, hungry after repeated heartbreaks, while 2024 champs RCB, under Smriti Mandhana’s leadership eyes, aim to reclaim their title. Mumbai’s pace fragility invites exploitation by power-hitters, amplified if Sciver-Brunt’s fitness falters or Ismail faces a burn-out. Relying on untested domestics amid global T20 demands. Evolving women’s cricket dynamics, post-2025 World Cup, heightened competition, with injury-prone stars like Sciver-Brunt and Shabnim Ismail under scrutiny in a high-stakes, split-venue format. The likes of Hayley Matthews is recovering from surgery but is likely to regain full match fitness before the tournament gets underway.
Mumbai Indians WPL 2026 Schedule:
- January 09, 2026: Vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru. DY Patil, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 10, 2026: Vs Delhi Capitals. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 13, 2026: Vs Gujarat Giants. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 15, 2026: Vs UP Warriorz. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 17, 2026: Vs UP Warriorz. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. 3:30 PM IST.
- January 20, 2026: Vs Delhi Capitals. Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 26, 2026: Vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. 7:30 PM IST.
- January 30, 2026: Vs Gujarat Giants. Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. 7:30 PM IST.
Mumbai Indians underscores a squad primed for glory yet tested by bowling balance, watch how Keightley and Kaur navigate to three-peat.
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