Mumbai Indians have had to reshuffle midway through the Women’s Premier League, with keeper-batter G Kamalini ruled out of the 2026 campaign and left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma drafted in for INR 30 lakh.
The franchise confirmed on Monday that Kamalini’s injury – the exact nature still under wraps – ends her season after five straight appearances. In those outings she scored 75 from 77 balls, top-scoring with 32, and logged seven dismissals behind the sticks. Her absence leaves rookie Rahila Firdous as the only specialist wicketkeeper in the squad.
Head coach Charlotte Edwards admitted the timing is awkward. “Kami’s glove-work has been first-rate and she balances the batting, so yes, it’s a blow,” she said. “But Vaishnavi offers something completely different with the ball, and we rate her control very highly.”
Sharma, unsold at November’s auction, debuted for India last December against Sri Lanka, collecting five wickets across five T20Is at 6.26 runs an over. A modest international sample size, yet the economy caught Mumbai’s eye. “It’s a bit surreal to get the call this late,” Sharma said on arrival. “I just want to nail my role, whatever the team asks.”
The numbers behind the switch are striking: Kamalini cost INR 1.60 crore on auction night, whereas Sharma arrives at a fraction of that. Mumbai, twice champions in the league’s brief history, sit second on the table with two wins and three losses, level on points with UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants but well behind unbeaten Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur kept the focus simple. “It’s tough on Kami, she’s been brilliant behind the stumps but injuries are part of sport,” she noted. “Vaishnavi’s left-arm spin could be handy on these used tracks, so we back her.”
Next up is Delhi Capitals on Tuesday evening, bottom of the ladder but dangerous enough to punish any side still working out a new balance. For Mumbai it’s not panic-stations, yet adapting quickly – without their first-choice keeper – may well define the rest of their season.
