WPL 2026: MI head coach opens up on injury challenges
What's the story
Mumbai Indians head coach Lisa Keightley has opened up about the challenges her team faced in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026. The Australian coach admitted that their title defense has been hampered by injuries and constant changes to player combinations. "We definitely struggled early to get going," Keightley said after an 11-run defeat to Gujarat Giants on Friday.
Setbacks
Key players' injuries hampered MI's campaign
Keightley highlighted that key players' injuries and illnesses have made it difficult for the team to find stable combinations. "We had a lot of injuries and sickness to key players, which was tough," she said. The coach also noted that these setbacks prevented them from building momentum in their tournament campaign, calling it disappointing. "Being put under pressure early and losing matches was not ideal," Keightley added.
Injury impact
The story of MI's struggles
MI's injury troubles started when all-rounder Hayley Matthews hurt her quad in a practice match after arriving in Mumbai. This disrupted their plans for a new opening pair in this WPL cycle. When the replacement overseas star clicked, they were tempted to stick with it. However, Nat Sciver-Brunt's illness and frequent combination changes saw their best foreign assets rested and rotated, further complicating matters for MI.
Domestic performance
Lackluster performances from domestic picks added to woes
Keightley also noted that some of the frontline domestic picks couldn't deliver as expected. This, along with the injury woes, robbed MI of continuity in their campaign. "We were really clear on what [the line-up] looked like going into the tournament," Keightley said. She emphasized that replacing a world-class opening batter like Matthews was hard and they had to come up with new combinations during the tournament.
Pair changes
Keightly praises Sajana's efforts at the top
Despite missing opener Yastika Bhatia in their 2025 title-winning XI, MI stuck with S Sajana to partner Matthews at the top. Keightley praised Sajana's intent and effort despite the pressures of a mid-season switch in her role. "We've struggled up front and we've tried a number of combinations," Keightley said, adding that they feel Sajana and Hayley are their best options for opening.
League results
MI await result to know Eliminator fate
MI ended their league stages with three wins and five defeats, including three consecutive losses in the middle of the season. They are currently third on the table owing to the best net run-rate (+0.059) among the three contenders for a spot in the Eliminator. For the first time in four seasons, their fate now depends on an outside result - a bottom-of-the-table clash that concludes round-robin stages on Sunday.