In the post-match press conference following WPL 2026 Match 10 at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai Indians all-rounder Amelia Kerr offered candid insights into her team’s 22-run defeat to UP Warriorz on January 17, 2026. The loss marked Mumbai’s third of the season and UP Warriorz’s second straight win, with skipper Meg Lanning’s record 11th WPL half-century (70 off 45) earning her Player of the Match honours.
As the final day of the Navi Mumbai leg, it highlighted UP’s rare feat, beating Mumbai twice in league stages under Lanning’s leadership, emulating her former Delhi Capitals side, while Mumbai clung to second place with 4 points from 5 games.
Amelia Kerr, who starred with a match-hauling 4-0-28-3 spell, including a devastating final over (Harleen Deol, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma) to restrict UP to 187/8, made her the first bowler to pick 50 wickets in the WPL. She is also the all-time leading wicket-taker in the WPL.
She is also currently the leading wicket-taker of the ongoing 4th edition of the WPL with 10 wickets at an average of 14.70 and an economy of 7.35 in five innings, and 5 matches with the ball for her side in the ongoing edition of the tournament. As a result, she is currently the purple cap holder in the 4th edition of the tournament.
Since her WPL debut in the inaugural edition on 4th March 2023, she has picked up 50 wickets at an average of 17.26 and an economy of 7.59 in 34 innings, including a five-wicket haul and a four-wicket haul in 34 matches with the ball for her side in the tournament so far.
Besides her exploits with the ball against the UP Warriorz in their repeat fixture, she also smashed a gritty 49* off 28 (6 fours, 1 six). Her efforts, alongside Amanjot Kaur’s 41 off 24, fueled an 83-run sixth wicket stand that nearly turned the chase, but Mumbai faltered at 165/6 after a shaky powerplay and regular wickets.
Reflecting on the chase, Kerr pinpointed key lapses: “The Warriorz looked all set to get a big score, so we did well to pull it back, and then I guess we were what three down early and then trying to rebuild a partnership, but then losing continuous wickets, so we never got ahead of the game. I think winning the power play is really important in this competition, and it’s something we’ve struggled to do so far. Good that we could take the game deep, but it just shows that we’re not far off, it’s only 20 runs or whatever, it’s just winning those little moments, and we haven’t done so.”
She praised the bowling unit, Nat Sciver-Brunt (4-0-22-2), Nicola Carey (1/38), Amanjot (1/38), Hayley Matthews (1/40), but lamented fielding errors: “I think our bowling unit’s been really good, I think today in the field obviously dropping a few catches never helps. Yeah, I think today we obviously dropped a couple of catches, and that never helps, but that’s sport; people make mistakes. So yeah, I think if you’re looking to try and have a complete performance, that’s how you got to win games here, you can’t drop your standards.”
Kerr touched on batting rhythm amid new combinations and conditions, noting the day game’s slower pitch with turn for spinners and dew aiding second-innings skidding: “I think I haven’t batted the last couple of games as I haven’t needed to, and it’s nice to be able to contribute a little bit with the bat today. Obviously a day game, so I think under light here, especially a few bats second with a little bit of dew, it can skid on a bit more, so in the day it was still a good wicket, but in a fast outfield, but a little bit slower if spinners held their pace, you could get a little bit of turn.”
Defending skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (18 off 21) amid challenges like Nat Sciver-Brunt’s illness absence, Hayley Matthews’ load-managed return post-surgery, and Shabnim Ismail’s rest, Kerr lauded her leadership: “She’s been amazing, she’s a great leader, and she’s led Mumbai well for the last three years and is doing the same again this year and has a lot of respect from all the players and staff.”
On the season’s ups and downs, Kerr remained optimistic despite injuries and selections: “Yeah it’s been a little bit up and down with a couple of losses and then a couple of wins as well so I guess that’s cricket, the ability of the group to just get on with things despite I guess all the noise that’s happening around us is encouraging for the group heading into the back end.”
With the caravan shifting to Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, from January 19, Kerr eyes adaptation: “New conditions for the next three games for us, so we’ll get there. We’ve got a bit of time off, and we’ll be able to train and get used to it.”
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