Where they finished in WPL 2025:
Mumbai Indians wrapped up the inaugural WPL cycle in style, emerging as two-time champions after lifting the trophy once again in front of a near-capacity home crowd at the Brabourne Stadium. They finished second in the league standings, having lost both their round-robin encounters to Delhi Capitals. However, MI turned the tables in the knockouts—cruising past Gujarat Giants in a one-sided Eliminator before defending a modest 149 in the final at the high-scoring CCI to hand DC their third consecutive runners-up finish, reports Live Cricket Score.
Mega-auction overhaul:
It hardly felt like one. Continuity remained the cornerstone of MI’s success, and the franchise did well to bring back the core that powered them to their second title. More than half of their limited purse was spent on re-signing allrounder Amelia Kerr for INR 3 crore, while Shabnim Ismail proved to be a steal at just INR 60 lakh after minimal bidding competition from RCB.
MI also secured the return of Saika Ishaque, S Sajana and Sanskriti Gupta, all of whom are already capped for the franchise. The new additions included Australian allrounder Nicola Carey and emerging pacer Milly Illingworth. Among domestic recruits, leg-spinning allrounder Poonam Khemnar and teenage prospect Triveni Vasistha add further depth to the squad.
Newsmaker(s):
While the playing group remains largely settled, MI grabbed headlines with changes behind the scenes. The biggest move was the departure of head coach Charlotte Edwards, who led the side to two titles before taking up the same role with the England women’s team. Taking over is Australian Lisa Keightley, who previously served as assistant coach with the Delhi Capitals. Former Australian legspinner Kristen Beams has also joined the setup as spin-bowling coach.
Watch out for:
An Under-19 World Cup winner and a naturally aggressive batter, G Kamilini made her MI debut last season as a lower-order hitter and even played a key role in a tight win despite not scoring heavily. Since then, the left-hander has earned her India debut in a T20 World Cup year. Retained ahead of franchise stalwart Yastika Bhatia, Kamilini is set for a bigger role this season—both at the top of the order and behind the stumps.
Strongest XI:
Hayley Matthews, G Kamilini (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, S Sajana, Poonam Khemnar, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Triveni Vasistha
Bench:
Nicola Carey, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Rahila Firdous, Milly Illingworth
Schedule:
Mumbai Indians have lifted both their WPL trophies at the CCI, but the venue will not feature this season. The defending champions will still enjoy strong home support, playing five matches at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. That advantage, however, comes with a demanding start featuring back-to-back games and an afternoon fixture before the team shifts to Vadodara for the second half of the tournament.
- January 9: vs RCB, 7:30 PM – Navi Mumbai
- January 10: vs DC, 7:30 PM – Navi Mumbai
- January 13: vs GG, 7:30 PM – Navi Mumbai
- January 15: vs UPW, 7:30 PM – Navi Mumbai
- January 17: vs UPW, 3:30 PM – Navi Mumbai
- January 20: vs DC, 7:30 PM – Vadodara
- January 26: vs RCB, 7:30 PM – Vadodara
- January 30: vs GG, 7:30 PM – Vadodara
