Former India cricketer Reema Malhotra believes Mumbai Indians should target wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma at the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 auction to address their concerns at the top of the order. Mumbai Indians, who missed out on the playoffs in WPL 2026, have retained a core group of 11 players led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur. The franchise will enter the auction, scheduled to be held in Kochi on October 28, with a purse of Rs 1 crore.
Mumbai need to settle their opening combination and find a replacement for wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini, while also strengthening their spin and pace-bowling options ahead of the fifth season, according to Reema.
“The best thing for the Mumbai Indians is that they head into the auction with the least money, which means the least problems.
One major issue is their opening pair,” Reema told Jio Star. They have retained their core group but need to sort out a few issues. Reema identified Sushma Verma as a potential solution to Mumbai’s opening and wicketkeeping concerns, citing her performances in domestic cricket and the Women’s Caribbean Premier League.
Plus, she was called for trials by the MI team management, and I feel Mumbai is going to go big for Sushma Verma in the mini-auction,” she said. She’s been the star of the team for the last two seasons, so I see no reason for her exclusion from the team,” she said. “To solve the problem of an opening batter who can keep wickets, the Mumbai Indians should go after Sushma Verma. She had an amazing domestic season with the bat and performed well in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League too. Reema also backed all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who is recovering from a back injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, to retain her place in the side. “Mumbai Indians will surely back Amanjot Kaur as an all-rounder. She’s a three-dimensional player and someone who is not replaceable. She also pointed to Sajeevan Sajana as a player Mumbai are likely to continue backing after investing in her over the last three years, while naming Shweta Sehrawat as another potential target following her release by UP Warriorz.
