Defending champions Mumbai Inddigihunt (MI) have strengthened their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) with the addition of former South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, along with Australian players Milly Illingworth and Nicola Carey, at their training camp.
Over the weekend, MI commenced their training camp to defend their title in the fourth edition of the WPL. Having won two of the three WPL seasons thus far, MI will kick off their campaign on January 9 against the 2024 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), at the DY Patil Stadium.
Shabnim has had a previous stint with MI and was brought back by the franchise during the mega auction held in New Delhi in November 2025. For Milly and Nicola, this will mark their debut in the WPL.
Jhulan Goswami, MI’s bowling coach and mentor, expressed enthusiasm about the season, stating, “Here we are. We already started our journey, 2026, and the way these youngsters are coming forward, really excited about this season and with quality players, like Shabnim Ismail. All others will come, but Shabnim is always special – the way she performs and is a genuine quick bowler and competitor, and whenever she’s around in our group, the vibes are different. So again, looking forward for one more season with her and looking forward that she’ll do well the way she has done in the past.”
As the squad gradually comes together, more star players like skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amanjot Kaur are expected to join in the coming days. MI is continuing their pre-training program, focusing on building team cohesion, sharpening skills, and fine-tuning strategies ahead of the new season.
The 28-day tournament will take place across two venues in Navi Mumbai and BCA Stadium, Vadodara. This is the first time the WPL will be held in the January-February window, following the first three seasons which were played in February-March, just before the commencement of the Indian Premier League (IPL).