The Mumbai Indians (MI), champions of the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), are gearing up for the second season, which is set to commence on February 23rd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
In a pre-season press conference held on Friday in Mumbai, MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur reiterated the team’s winning mantra from last year: “Don’t take pressure”, “keep things simple”, and “enjoy yourself and each other’s success”.
“We hope to give all the players clear roles so that they can go out there and perform. We’ll try and create a similar atmosphere, enjoy each other’s success and back each other,” said Kaur, acknowledging the significant role of the coaches in the team’s success.
MI’s coaching staff comprises of two legends of the women’s game, Head Coach Charlotte Edwards and Mentor and Bowling Coach Jhulan Goswami. Edwards reflected on the team’s victory last year and expressed her excitement about working with Goswami.
The MI scouting process has been instrumental in discovering talented players who have made significant contributions to the sport. Edwards, who witnessed the process firsthand, expressed her admiration for the system and its outcomes.
Two such talents, Yastika Bhatia, the Emerging Player of the Year from 2023, and Issy Wong, the first player to take a hat-trick in the WPL, played crucial roles in MI’s title-winning campaign last year.
Bhatia spoke about the transformative impact of her training with Kiran More on her career, while Wong expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to work with experienced coaches like Edwards and Goswami.
The second season of the WPL will begin with a match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, a replay of the 2023 final. The tournament will be held in two legs, with the first leg in Bengaluru and the second leg and playoffs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
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