New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Former India cricketer Abhinav Mukund believes Mumbai Indians have addressed some of the shortcomings that affected their team composition last season, crediting new head coach Luke Williams’ familiarity with several recruits for helping the two-time champions put together a more balanced squad for the 2027 Women’s Premier League (WPL).
Williams, who previously worked with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has brought a fresh perspective to MI’s recruitment, with Mukund highlighting how the Australian’s previous associations with players have influenced the franchise’s auction and trading decisions.
“I feel like this MI side has a much better balance to it from last season, and I also like the fact that their new head coach, Luke Williams, who was previously with RCB, has picked players that he feels will add value and strengthen this squad. They picked up Disha Kasat, who worked closely with him at RCB, and the trade move for Tara Norris as well is quite impressive. Tara was working with Luke in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Hundred. So, the Luke Williams effect is already showing in their squad,” Mukund told JioStar.
Among the acquisitions that caught Mukund’s attention was the arrival of Norris, whose inclusion could give MI greater flexibility in deciding their overseas combination. The former cricketer believes the left-arm pacer’s associate-nation status could be particularly valuable, allowing the franchise to field an additional overseas player under the WPL’s playing conditions.
Tara’s recruitment also addresses a selection dilemma that had restricted MI’s options during the previous edition, particularly when it came to accommodating Shabnim Ismail alongside their other overseas stars.
“Tara’s addition has given MI the option of not being forced to play Shabnim Ismail in the playing XI. That was a big problem for them last year, where they could not figure out their four overseas options. Tara is an associate player, which gives the two-time champions the opportunity to field five overseas players, which is a win-win situation for them as a team. And this squad they have built for WPL 2027 is a huge upgrade from last year,” he added.
–IANS
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