Inaugural champion Mumbai Indians is banking on youth and the purple patch of domestic players to add a second title to its trophy cabinet. And, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur seems to be excited about the same.
“I am very excited because this season, a lot of good talent has been picked by all the teams. Last season, we saw players who performed well and earned their place in the national team. This year, I expect an even more competitive tournament as domestic cricketers have prepared themselves thoroughly for this opportunity,” Harmanpreet said in a media interaction ahead of the season.
“One noticeable improvement in domestic cricket has been the strike rates of batters. This season, we saw multiple 300+ run scores in domestic matches, showing a more aggressive approach. Players are working on power-hitting, fielding, and overall skill development which is a very good thing,” she added.
The management’s eagerness to have faith in India’s youngsters for the 2025 edition of the Women’s Premier League was seen during the auction when the side bought G Kamalini and Sanskriti Gupta
G. Kamalini, Indian women under-19 cricketer in Chennai after winning ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 in Malaysia.
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
G. Kamalini, Indian women under-19 cricketer in Chennai after winning ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 in Malaysia.
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
While Kamalini was the wicketkeeper for India in the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup which it won, in Sanskriti the side finds a fledgling off-break bowler.
MI also brought in Parunika Sisodia as the replacement for Pooja Vastrakar, who was ruled out of the season due to injuries. Parunika, another member of the U-19 World Cup-winning India team, boosts the side’s spin arsenal tremendously, coming into the WPL on the back of 10 wickets in the international tournament.
While Pooja’s absence may drain some power from the side’s pace battery, Shabnim Ismail’s scathing deliveries should lead MI’s fast bowling department.
It’ll be interesting to see how Harmanpreet bats. The fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament’s history, the batter would hope to mark her return to competitive cricket – after she was rested for the India vs Ireland series at home – with some blistering knocks.
Backing the India international will be Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tryon, Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr, all of whom have plenty of experience with the bat.
MI is in a similar boat as Delhi Capitals, which also happens to be its opponent for the side’s tournament opener. Both sides have their cores intact and have added youngsters to their squads to try and tweak few things around.
Now, it remains to be seen whether Harmanpreet fires on all cylinders and if Mumbai Indians’ faith on youngsters pays off.