Mumbai Indians face a big challenge before the mini auction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027. The team led by Harmanpreet Kaur, who has won the title twice, has to fill 6 vacancies in its squad, but only Rs 90 lakh is left in its purse. In such a situation, the team will have to search for wicketkeeper-batsman, Indian top order batsman and Indian bowler in a limited budget. The good thing for Mumbai is that its core of foreign players is already strong, but the franchises will have to bid very thoughtfully while choosing the options of Indian players.
The mini auction of WPL 2027 is scheduled to be held on October 28 in Kochi. Mumbai Indians have a total of Rs 90 lakh available to buy 6 players. That means the budget is made to spend an average of Rs 15 lakh on each player. However, it is not necessary that every player be bought at this price. Spending too much money for an important player may have to cut down on other options.
Mumbai can bid only on Indian players
Mumbai has released many of its players before the auction. After this, Tara Norris was included in the team from UP Warriors through trade for Rs 10 lakh. With this move the quota of foreign players has been completed. Now Mumbai will be able to bid only on Indian players in the auction.
Search for wicketkeeper
One of the biggest challenges facing Mumbai Indians is the search for a wicketkeeper-batsman. The team has released G Kamalini, who was among their wicketkeeping options last season. Now the team has Rahila Firdous as wicketkeeper, but last season she got a chance to play only three matches. In such a situation, Mumbai needs an Indian wicketkeeper who can contribute in batting along with taking responsibility behind the wicket. Shivani Singh could be a possible option for this role. She scored 250 runs in 7 innings in the domestic Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. His base price is Rs 10 lakh. If their bid goes beyond the budget, Mumbai can also consider options like Latika Inamdar and Bhavika Ahire.
Indian opener will also be searched
Mumbai’s batting consists of experienced players like Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt. However, last season the team had to rely heavily on these two in the middle order. The opening combination was also affected due to injury and illness of Hayley Matthews. In such a situation, a reliable Indian top order batsman can be included in the priorities of the team. Gongadi Trisha can become a useful option for Mumbai. She scored 309 runs in the 2025 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Along with scoring runs quickly, she has also shown the ability to handle the innings. His base price is Rs 10 lakh.
Mumbai can also bet on Vrinda Dinesh
If other teams bid more for Trisha, then Mumbai may turn to Vrinda Dinesh. Vrinda has impressed with her aggressive batting in domestic T20 cricket. Including a young Indian batsman in a limited budget can also be beneficial for Mumbai in the long run.
Search for Indian option in bowling also
The overseas bowling department of Mumbai Indians looks quite strong. Shabnim Ismail’s speed and experience are the strengths of the team. The arrival of Tara Norris has also provided additional options in bowling. Whereas, Vaishnavi Sharma and Sanskriti Gupta are present in the Indian spin department. Despite this, the team can consider including domestic fast bowlers and experienced spinners. Shabnam Shakeel can be a useful option for fast bowling. He took three wickets for 11 runs against UP Warriors in WPL 2024. Parunika Sisodia can be kept an eye on in the spin department. She can give additional options to the team at a low cost.