New Delhi, September 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Mumbai Indians bowling coach and mentor Jhulan Goswami has said that player auctions present a unique challenge every season, adding that the franchise’s primary objective remains to assemble a top-tier squad capable of competing for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) title.
Jhulan’s remarks came after two-time champions Mumbai Indians released six players ahead of the WPL 2027 auction. The list includes five Indian players — left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque, wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini, seam bowler Kranthi Reddy, batting all-rounder Poonam Khemnar and left-arm spinner Triveni Vasistha — along with Australian fast bowler Milly Illingworth.
Kamalini’s release by MI has come as a surprise, considering she was part of the Indian team that won the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai and secured the gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan.
It is understood that the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Nepal and Bangladesh, will clash with the WPL 2027 timeline. As a result, Kamalini could miss the five-team tournament to feature in the global event, where India will enter as defending champions.
“Auction is always a different challenge for everyone because you don’t know which player you are going to meet, but you have to prepare accordingly. So every year is a new challenge, and we try to accept that challenge and make the best team, so that our team is at the top,” Jhulan told broadcasters Star Sports during the retention announcement show on Monday.
Mumbai Indians, who missed out on the WPL 2026 playoffs, have retained a formidable core of 11 players, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
The retained squad features several international stars, including West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, England skipper Natalie Sciver-Brunt, New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr, South Africa pacer Shabnim Ismail and Australia’s seam-bowling all-rounder Nicola Carey.
The franchise has also retained its domestic core, comprising seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who is recovering from a back injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru; batting all-rounder Sajeevan Sajana; wicketkeeper-batter Rahila Firdous; off-spin bowling all-rounder Sanskriti Gupta; and left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma.
MI will head into the WPL 2027 player auction, scheduled to be held in Kochi on October 28, with a purse of Rs 1 crore.
“The retained group features a mix of experienced campaigners and emerging talent, with the franchise opting to maintain continuity while also creating room to strengthen the squad ahead of the 2027 season,” the franchise said in a statement.
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