New Delhi: In a surprising move ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season, two-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) listed England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt as their first retention pick, ahead of captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Sources told IANS that the decision to give Sciver-Brunt the top slot was taken by Harmanpreet herself.
According to the sources, the India skipper wanted to prioritise team balance and performance over personal ranking. “Harmanpreet wanted to ensure MI fielded the strongest possible team for WPL 2026, and therefore decided that Nat would be the franchise’s first retained player,” they said. Sciver-Brunt, the WPL 2025 Player of the Tournament, has been retained for Rs 3.5 crore, while Harmanpreet’s retention amount stands at Rs 2.5 crore.
MI have also retained West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (Rs 1.75 crore), India all-rounder Amanjot Kaur (Rs 1 crore), and rising wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini (Rs 50 lakh). Team co-owner Akash Ambani said the retained squad reflects the perfect blend of leadership, international match-winners, and emerging Indian talent.
With five players retained, MI will enter the WPL 2026 mega auction on November 27 in New Delhi with a remaining purse of Rs 5.75 crore and no Right to Match card. The auction will see each franchise build its squad with a total purse of Rs 15 crore.
