Here's why Mumbai Indians Women released G Kamalini ahead of WPL 2027

Mumbai Indians have released wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini ahead of the Women's Premier League 2027 auction. The franchise confirmed the move on September 28, 2026, as part of a broader round of squad trimming that saw six players released in total ahead of the WPL 2027 player auction, which is scheduled to be held in Kochi on October 28.

Kamalini, the 18-year-old, made her T20I debut for India on December 30, 2025, against Sri Lanka. Despite her young age, she has already featured in senior international cricket and has been part of notable Indian team achievements, including the Women's Asia Cup triumph in Dubai and a gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan.

WPL 2027 is scheduled to run from January 14 to February 7, 2027, and the five-team tournament will go to auction before the season begins. Kamalini's release comes against the backdrop of a significant scheduling conflict that is understood to be central to the decision.

Why did the U19 Women's T20 World Cup factor into Kamalini's release?

The U19 Women's T20 World Cup, to be held in Nepal and Bangladesh, is set to clash with the WPL 2027 window. Given that conflict, Kamalini could have been unavailable for a significant portion of the tournament had Mumbai Indians retained her. The Women in Blue enter the global event as defending champions, having won the U19 Women's T20 World Cup in both 2023 and 2025, and Kamalini is a likely candidate for the India Women squad given her age and recent international exposure.

For a franchise building a competitive roster, retaining a player who may miss matches due to an international commitment of that scale presents a practical challenge. Releasing Kamalini ahead of the auction allows both the player and the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side to plan their respective seasons without that constraint. With the WPL 2027 auction set for October 28 in Kochi, Kamalini will be available for all five franchises to bid on, and her record of senior honours at such a young age is likely to attract interest from other teams in the competition.

What has Kamalini achieved in Indian cricket so far?

Despite being a teenager, Kamalini has already collected meaningful honours at the senior level. She was part of the Indian side that won the Women's Asia Cup in Dubai and also contributed to India's gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games in Japan. Those performances underline her standing as one of the more promising young wicketkeeper-batters in Indian women's cricket.

Kamalini's combination of senior international experience and eligibility for the Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup reflects the rare position she occupies in Indian women's cricket — a player whose immediate future spans both age groups and senior formats simultaneously. That dual eligibility, while a mark of her talent, is precisely what made her retention a complicated proposition for Mumbai Indians heading into WPL 2027.