Women's Premier League 2024: Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur keen on keeping it 'simple'

During the press conference for Mumbai Indians WPL 2024, Charlotte Edwards, the head coach of the Mumbai Indians (Women) team, was joined by bowling coach Jhulan Goswami and captain Harmanpreet Kaur. (Image: PTI)

As the countdown to the second season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) kicks off on February 23 at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur engaged in a candid discussion during a pre-season press conference on February 16 in Mumbai.

Captain Kaur reiterated the guiding principles of "Don't take the pressure," "Keep things simple," and "Enjoy yourself and each other’s success", which, she believes, were the foundational elements that propelled Mumbai Indians to victory in WPL's inaugural season.

The MI captain noted, “We just want to do what we did last year, keep things simple and enjoy our cricket. We hope to give all the players clear roles so that they can go out there and perform. I know a lot of eyeballs will be on us this time since we won last year, but last year as well, we didn’t put any pressure on ourselves,” during the pre-season media conference.

She further emphasised that the team aspires to maintain a similar positive atmosphere, celebrating each other’s success and supporting one another, adding that the team coaches play a significant role in fostering this environment.

It should be noted that the coaching duo of Charlotte Edwards, MI’s Head Coach, and Jhulan Goswami, MI’s Mentor and Bowling Coach, have formed a formidable coaching partnership.

Reflecting on the team's success last year, Edwards remarked that selecting the team a year ago was a fantastic experience for the players and support staff. Winning the trophy at the Brabourne Stadium, particularly with the younger players, was a highlight of her career, the Head Coach further noted.

“To work with Jhulan. She got me out many times, and she reminds me a lot about that too. To get to work with her finally and to be on the same team was great," she commented on her camaraderie with Goswami.

The MI scouting process, known for uncovering talent, has impressed Edwards, she asserted.

Two promising talents from last year, Yastika Bhatia and Issy Wong played pivotal roles in MI's title triumph. Bhatia credited Kiran More for her turnaround, terming it as a turning point in her career.

Issy Wong praised the Charlotte-Jhulan duo, stating, "Opportunity to work with guys who have so much experience in the game is something I don’t take lightly. You don’t get such opportunities, especially in the women’s game to have strong female coaches who have a lot of experience".

The second season of WPL kicks off on February 23 with a match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, a rematch of the 2023 final. The first leg is scheduled in Bengaluru, followed by the second leg and playoffs at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.