Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 8 : Former Indian cricketer Reema Malhotra stated that the Mumbai Indians' decision not to retain England pacer Issy Wong was expected due to her lacklustre performances last season.
The inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), announced their retention list on Thursday ahead of the season three auctions scheduled for next year. The team has retained a strong core, including skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, West Indies star Hayley Matthews, England's Nat Sciver-Brunt, and New Zealand's Amelia Kerr.
Speaking on JioCinema, Malhotra remarked, "I feel this move was expected from MI because Wong's performance last season wasn't great, and even for England, her form has been inconsistent. If you look at MI's overall squad, they have not disturbed their core, but it will be interesting to see their approach in the mini-auction. They released two middle-order batters, Humaira Kazi and Fatima Jaffer, so they will likely target a wicketkeeper and an overseas player to strengthen the squad."
Last season, Wong played two matches, taking three wickets at an average of 16.66, with best figures of 2/30.
The team has parted ways with Wong, who achieved the first-ever WPL hat-trick for MI, along with Indian players Humaira Kazi, Fatima Jaffer, and Priyanka Bala.
The retained players also include Amandeep Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, South Africa's Chloe Tryon, Jintimani Kalita, Keerthana B, Pooja Vastrakar, Saika Ishaque, Sajana Sajeevan, South African pace veteran Shabnim Ismail, and Indian wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia.
After winning the inaugural title in 2023, MI were eliminated by eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the WPL 2024 eliminator.
The auction dates and schedule for season three of the tournament are yet to be announced.