Mumbai Indians closed the 2026 WPL campaign with a 3‑5 record, failing to qualify for the final four for the first time since their debut title win in 2023. The loss of key players to injury and illness meant the side struggled to find rhythm over the eight‑game league stage.
Harmanpreet Kaur led the attack with 342 runs, the highest for MI, while Nat Sciver‑Brunt added 321 from the lower order. New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr kept the wickets with 14 dismissals, yet the team couldn't translate those individual performances into wins.
Luke Williams, who guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a 2024 WPL title, took the helm in Adelaide after Lisa Keightley’s departure. He said he isn’t looking to overhaul the squad but will focus on fine‑tuning the core that has delivered two titles in four seasons.
Early setbacks, especially the opening loss to RCB and the quad injury to Hayley Matthews, hampered MI’s consistency. Williams highlighted the importance of closing out tight games—there were four matches decided by fewer than 20 runs.
Despite the setbacks, MI finished with a positive net run rate, the only team alongside RCB to do so. Williams plans to retain the core nucleus of the squad, tweaking roles where needed, and aims to return to the playoffs and title contention in 2027.
Next up, MI will face Chennai Super Kings in a pre‑season friendly to fine‑tune tactics before the 2027 WPL launch.