WPL 2027: Every auction a fresh challenge, goal is to build top team, says MI mentor Jhulan

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) Mumbai Indians bowling coach and mentor Jhulan Goswami has stated that player auctions present a unique challenge every season and added that the franchise’s core objective remains assembling a top-tier squad capable of fighting for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) title.

Jhulan’s remarks came after two-time champions Mumbai Indians parted ways with six players ahead of the WPL 2027 auction. The released list comprises 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, alongside Australian fast bowler Milly Illingworth.

Kamalini’s release by MI comes as a surprise, considering she was a part of the Indian team that won the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai and grabbed the gold medal in the Asian Games in Japan.

It is understood that the timeline of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played in Nepal and Bangladesh, clashing with that of WPL 2027, Kamalini might miss the five-team tournament to feature in the global event, where India enter as defending champions.

“Auctions are always a different challenge for everyone because you don’t know which player you are going to meet, but you have to prepare as per that 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,” said Jhulan to broadcasters Star Sports during the retention announcement show on Monday.

MI, who missed out on WPL 2026 playoffs, have preserved a formidable core of 11 players, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur. The retained squad features international stars – 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 domestic core retained by the franchise includes seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who’s 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, 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,” said the franchise in its statement.

–IANS

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