Mumbai Indians Wouldn’t Have Wanted A Mega Auction : JioStar Expert Veda Krishnamurthy

Mumbai : The TATA Women’s Premier League 2026 is building momentum as franchises finalized their retained players ahead of the much-awaited mega auction. With franchises announcing notable releases—including stars like Deepti Sharma, Amelia Kerr, and Meg Lanning—the auction promises bold moves to shape the season. Speaking on JioHotstar’s TATA WPL 2026 Retention Special Show, JioStar experts Veda Krishnamurthy and Anjum Chopra analyzed the strategic vision and evolving leadership within each franchise.Speaking on TATA WPL 2026 Retention Special Show, JioStar expert Veda Krishnamurthy analyzed Mumbai Indians’ strategy behind their retained players. “The retention list of two-time champions Mumbai Indians was quite easy and predictable. The big question was Hayley Matthews’ fitness after surgery, and her retention confirms she’ll be ready by the time tournament starts. This meant letting go of Amelia Kerr and Shabnim Ismail, two players who have played a crucial role in helping them lift the WPL Trophy twice. Honestly, Mumbai Indians wouldn’t have wanted a mega auction, they’d built a family-like unit over three years with mostly the same players. What impressed me most was Harmanpreet Kaur taking the second retention spot. As a World Cup-winning captain and star batter, everyone expected her to be first retention. But she likely prioritized keeping Nat Sciver-Brunt, understanding that retaining both required compromise. It shows tremendous leadership, choosing team success over personal status. That decision probably secured their championship-winning core”On Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership and Mumbai Indians’ challenges heading into the Mega-Auction Veda said that winning two titles in three years is a terrific achievement for Harmanpreet Kaur, who has truly grown as a leader. Her ODI World Cup victory silenced critics globally. She deeply understands the franchise’s core values, which will be crucial with new coach Lisa Keightley coming in after Charlotte Edwards’ successful tenure. The real challenge begins now at the auction table. With limited funds and no RTM cards for released players like Amelia Kerr and Shabnim Ismail, Mumbai must find smart alternatives to build another championship-winning squad around their retained core”She expressed her thoughts on the strategic thinking behind UP Warriorz’s bold retention decisions after a challenging season:” UP Warriorz certainly could have retained at least two key players from their core group of Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy and Sophie Ecclestone. Their disastrous season stemmed from struggling to find the right combination and lacking a strong Indian contingent beyond Deepti Sharma, who single-handedly carried the team. While they possess the largest auction purse and RTM cards to potentially buy back players like Sophie Ecclestone and Kiran Navgire, their releases raise questions about franchise strategy. The team’s imbalance was evident with multiple openers but inadequate middle-order options. I’m genuinely curious about the management’s vision moving forward”Speaking about Gujarat Giants’ bold retention strategy and their potential plan to use RTM cards for key released players she said, “It must have been difficult for Gujarat Giants to release players like Phoebe Litchfield and Laura Wolvaardt, especially after her World Cup performance. However, this is a team that hasn’t yet played to its potential, prompting these significant changes. While Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney are excellent retentions, I believe they will use RTM cards to bring back Litchfield and Wolvaardt. In mega auctions, player values often remain manageable, and this strategy could help them rebuild effectively around their core players”_Speaking on TATA WPL 2026 Retention Special Show, JioStar expert Anjum Chopra analyzed RCB’s retention strategy and Smriti Mandhana’s growth. “Skipper Smriti Mandhana appears extremely confident and crucial to RCB’s campaign. Her growth from WPL’s first season to now, combined with her World Cup experience as part of India’s leadership group, will significantly benefit the team. RCB retained expected picks like Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, and local talent Shreyanka Patil, showing faith in her despite injury setbacks. However, releasing proven performers like Renuka Singh Thakur and World Cup winner Sneh Rana presents interesting strategic choices for the franchise moving forward”.Speaking about the strategic balance and leadership questions facing Delhi Capitals after their retentions Anjum Chopra said, “Delhi Capitals qualifying for three consecutive finals show remarkable consistency, though converting those into titles remains their challenge. While Meg Lanning has been an exceptional leader, the emergence of Annabel Sutherland created necessary depth. Their decision to retain all four international players within the same financial bracket shows balanced team valuation. The captaincy question persists whether Jemimah Rodrigues should lead the side immediately or Marizanne Kapp, a really experienced campaigner for South Africa takes on that leadership role or they can even look for an external option in the Mega Auction. Retaining young Niki Prasad demonstrates smart investment in future talent with potential for national team selection”.Anjum clarified Delhi Capitals’ captaincy, and why an Indian leader might be the way forward. “Jemimah Rodrigues certainly emerges as the frontrunner for Delhi’s captaincy role. Most franchises prefer having an Indian captain leading the side, especially since Meg Lanning has been the only consistent overseas captain in WPL history. While Marizanne Kapp presents another option, the key consideration is appointing someone who will play all matches consistently. With current retentions, all indications point toward Jemimah Rodrigues being the likely choice, unless they bring in a new international player who can immediately assume leadership responsibilities”.



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