MI have also started preparing for the new season with almost a week’s training done in Navi Mumbai, mainly with the Indian players.
“Every player that comes into MI hopefully knows what’s expected of them. But equally [important is] that aggressive approach which is what we want to have throughout when we bat, bowl or field – and that’s something we tried to put across most of the players,” Edwards said at a press conference in Mumbai. “But equally, have that clarity about what our strengths are.
“I thought we played some fantastic cricket last year, and that’s all we can ask [for]. Things that we really set here is that we want people turning on the TV and watching the Mumbai Indians playing, and we certainly did that last time – we had some entertaining games of cricket.”
“We missed out by the narrowest of margins last year, which was disappointing. But we played the way we wanted to play, and this year, it’s just pure excitement for it,” Edwards said. “That we can keep building this team, to keep improving and hopefully get back to the winning ways, and get back to CCI (the Brabourne) and be in another final this year.”
This time, MI have as many as nine players under the age of 25, including the 16-year-old Kamalini, who scored 143 runs for winners India during the recently-concluded Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. Edwards said the key was to teach those youngsters that being aggressive was not only about hitting sixes.
“The wonderful thing about youth is they’ll come in, and they will be aggressive,” she said. “So now it’s for us to just teach somehow to play T20 cricket, and it’s not all about hitting sixes. And that’s our job now to instil that within the players, but never take away this aggressive approach that we want to just build on their wonderful talent.
“And that’s what’s impressed me so much about the talent coming through. They’re just so forward-thinking and open-minded, and it’s so wonderful to coach, and they do it all with a smile on their face, which makes me very happy.”
“Baroda will be a new venue for all of us. Recently, the Indian team played a series against West Indies [there], and the wicket was good; it’s a new stadium. Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium is a fantastic stadium.”
Jhulan Goswami on the expansion of the WPL
Goswami: WPL’s motto is to expand women’s cricket
While the maiden WPL was held in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the second season expanded to Bengaluru and Delhi. The third edition that starts from February 14 will be played across four cities: Vadodara, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Goswami, who played international cricket for over 20 years, said expanding the women’s game in the country was the “motto” of the WPL, while she also hoped to lift the trophy at the Brabourne Stadium again, which will host the final two league games and the knockouts.
“One of the best things about WPL is it’s now going in different places in our country, and it will impact local young girls, [and] budding cricketers – to motivate them, encourage them,” she said. “And that is the ultimate motto of WPL – to go to different venues and expand women’s cricket, particularly in our country.
“Baroda (now Vadodara) will be a new venue for all of us. Recently, the Indian team played a series against West Indies [there], and the wicket was good; it’s a new stadium. Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium is a fantastic stadium. Coming back to Mumbai, [we’re] looking forward to coming back in our home and playing in front of our MI fans. It’s a big thing, and we have fond memories of our first year, and [are] really looking forward to this season and playing in front of our MI fans.”
MI’s first game in WPL 2025 will be on February 15, against Delhi Capitals in Vadodara.
Vishal Dikshit is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
