'We couldn't get combinations going' – Keightley on MI's WPL 2026 struggles

Mumbai Indians head coach Lisa Keightley admitted their WPL 2026 campaign never found momentum, with injuries and constant adjustments disrupting plans from the outset.

"We definitely struggled early to get going," Keightley said after an 11-run defeat to Gujarat Giants left their title defence hanging by a thread. "We had a lot of injuries and sickness to key players, which was tough. We just couldn't get the combinations and partnerships to build momentum, which is disappointing. Being put under pressure early and losing matches was not ideal."

MI's injury troubles began when retained allrounder Hayley Matthews sustained a quad niggle in a practice game, throwing off plans for a new opening pair. Nat Sciver-Brunt's illness and frequent combination tweaks saw overseas players rested and rotated. Some frontline domestic picks also underperformed, robbing the side of continuity.

"We were really clear on what the line-up looked like going into the tournament," Keightley said. "When Hayley did a quad and was out for three games, we had to work out what those new combinations were. A world-class opening batter is hard to replace."

From their 2025 title-winning XI, the only missing name in Mumbai's 2026 opener was opener Yastika Bhatia, who was neither retained nor bought back. Opening remained a work in progress throughout.

After experimentation, MI stuck with S Sajana to partner Matthews at the top. Keightley praised Sajana's team-first approach. "We've struggled up front and tried a number of combinations. We feel Sajana and Hayley are our best options. To her credit, she was really keen to go out there and do the best for the team."

Sajana made 26 off 25 balls, the second-best score behind captain Harmanpreet Kaur's fighting 82* off 48 in the chase of 167.

MI's target could have been lower had they not leaked 36 runs in 12 deliveries at the start of the slog overs. Ash Gardner and Georgia Wareham took Matthews and Shabnim Ismail to the cleaners.

Needing 42 off the last three overs, MI managed only 16, with Wareham and Sophie Devine bowling tightly before Gardner defended 26 in the final over. Gujarat Giants secured their maiden win over MI, advancing to the Eliminator.

Keightley credited the Giants. "They bowled really well. They were basically just too good for us today. The two-over swing after their time-out break—that was a big shift. I thought we had it under control until then. That phase was probably the difference."

MI finished the league stage with three wins and five defeats, including three consecutive losses mid-season. They are third on net run-rate (+0.059), but for the first time in four seasons, their fate depends on Sunday's bottom-of-the-table clash.