Mumbai Indians are now home to both the men's and women's all-format Indian captains. Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur are not merely players, but players who attract a culture of success and massive fan following wherever they go.
That, Harmanpreet was snapped up by Mumbai Indians and Smriti Mandhana by Royal Challengers Bangalore, were perhaps the two biggest pieces of news to come out of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 auction last month.
Indian captain Harman in fact turned out to be a steal at Rs 1.8 crore, given that RCB had to shell out Rs 3.4 crore for Indian vice-captain Mandhana.
Getting Harmanpreet at the auction table solved a lot of problems for Mumbai, none more so than teething troubles. She will lead the team, which will help lay down the marker for everyone else.
A finisher and a leader par excellence, Harman will not only help MI ace run-chases but will bring about a culture of fitness, the significance of which can't be overstated in top-flight competitions.
"I feel great, I have always seen Mumbai Indians doing well in the IPL, and now I also have the opportunity to be part of the team", Harmanpreet told Sports 18 after getting picked by MI. "I think it's a gamechanger for all of us because we are going to experience this pressure [for] the first time. I'm very excited and at the same time, this will entirely change women's cricket not only in India [but] even in world cricket. We all are coming to Mumbai and I hope we'll get a lot of support. Mumbai Indians fans have always been great and we are really looking forward [to experiencing it]."
Apart from Kaur, Yastika Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar and Amanjot Kaur are the other leading Indian players that MI have roped in.
Sciver, Kerr & Co — MI's Overseas Superstars
Mumbai Indians ended up spending their entire purse of Rs 12 crore to buy 17 players, which include six gun overseas picks, namely Nat Sciver, Amelia Kerr, Heather Graham, Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tryon and Isabelle Wong.
The pick of the litter is English medium-pace bowling all-rounder Nat Sciver — it's high time that we get used to calling her Nat Sciver-Brunt.
The joint second-highest bid in the WPL auctions, Sciver-Brunt is among the leading all-rounders in world cricket, and is coming refreshed after a long break, the benefits of which have already been on display in the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup.
She can not only hit 'em as long and as consistently as anybody else in world cricket but her variations with the ball in hand, slower ones and bumpers in particular, make her among the most coveted players in the global game and a Pollard-esque overseas pick around whom MI can build their team.
Amelia Kerr may be going through a dip in form amid the White Ferns' under-par performance at world events, but she remains one of the best all-rounders in the women's game. Kerr can easily bat in the top three and her leg spin has got the better of many over the years. The all-rounder can bowl in all three phases, and a couple of overs from her in the power play or at the death can turn out to be the circuit-breaker for MI.
Heather Graham may have only made her T20I debut on the Australia tour of India recently, but she has shown in the WBBL over the years how effective she can be. The right-hand batter and right-arm medium-fast bowler may not be part of the starting XI but is a great back-up for Sciver-Brunt to possess.
Chloe Tryon showed with a destructive half-century in the final of the recent tri-series how she can change the face of the game all by herself. Not only her elite power-hitting but her handy left-arm spin makes her a powerful weapon in the MI artillery.
Isabelle Wong may or may not start for MI but her pace can be a handful on the true-paced Mumbai wickets, where the inaugural edition of the WPL will be played entirely. The English pacer is a raw talent though and her pace can prove to be a double-edged sword.
Bhatia, Vastrakar Search for Support
A strike rate of 86.58 in T20Is might not inspire a lot of confidence but Yastika Bhatia was the most sought-after Indian wicket-keeper at the auction after Richa Ghosh. At Rs 1.5 crore, she is not a bad buy at all, keeping the auction dynamics in mind.
Pooja Vastrakar is the leading Indian pace bowling option for MI and will have compatriot Amanjot Kaur for company. Both these players can contribute with the bat as well which gives MI a lot of options to play with.
While Vastrakar's hitting ability is well documented, Amanjot showed on her debut in South Africa recently that despite not possessing raw power, she excels at finding the gaps and keeping the scoreboard ticking.
While some of the above-mentioned names are quite impressive, the make-or-break for Mumbai will be their domestic Indian players. In the absence of top-drawer Indian players apart from Harmanpreet Kaur, Yastika Bhatia and Pooja Vastrakar, the lesser-known ones will have to step up to the plate for Harman to match Rohit Sharma's success for the stars in blue and gold.
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