The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 has not gone according to plan for Mumbai Indians Women (MI-W). MI-W started the season as clear favorites because they had won two championships which made them the most successful team in the league. Expectations reached their highest point because of big names like Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr and Shabnim Ismail. Midway through the league stage Mumbai finds itself in an unfamiliar situation. Their title defense hangs by a thread because they have only won two matches and lost four out of six matches. The powerhouse team has faced multiple problems which caused their performance decline. Heavy dependence on Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt MI-W struggles with its biggest problem when it becomes too dependent on Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt for their performance needs. The team has depended on the duo to save them from difficult situations. Harmanpreet scored an unbeaten 71 against Gujarat Giants and Sciver-Brunt scored 66 not out against Delhi Capitals which made both players match-defining contributions. The batting section collapses immediately whenever these two players experience failure. The batting lineup from the rest of the team during the UP Warriorz match showed clear weaknesses when they needed to support. The top order has struggled to provide solid starts, leaving too much work for the middle order. The situation has caused MI-W to enter rebuilding mode multiple times which has destroyed their crucial phase momentum. Powerplay struggles hurting momentum The powerplay performance of MI-W emerges as their main problem which has not improved throughout the entire season. Their powerplay run rate stands as the tournament's lowest number because they only achieve 6.50 runs with every over. Their slow scoring pace has continuously put them in disadvantageous positions throughout every match. The team has tried four different opening combinations in five matches, highlighting a lack of clarity. The team has tested multiple players in different roles but none of the combinations have produced successful results. The middle order lost their ability to build solid innings after the team made persistent changes to their lineup because this disrupted their game rhythm and their confidence levels. Also Read | Harmanpreet Kaur to enter elite list, Govt. To give her Padma Shri award along with Rohit Sharma Confusion over overseas selections MI-W has good overseas players but the team still struggles to find their best playing combination. Nicola Carey who started as a backup player has shown strong batting and bowling performance which makes her a good candidate for regular playing time. At the same time, key players have been left out at puzzling moments. Shabnim Ismail faced exclusion from the UP Warriorz match after her pace proved effective on slow surfaces. Hayley Matthews has shown concerning problems with her performance. She has not been able to perform well in matches since returning to action after her shoulder surgery and illness. Her failure to contribute to the team has caused a decline in both the top order and the bowling attack. The most surprising call came against Delhi Capitals, where Amelia Kerr was dropped after a superb all-round display in the previous match. Kerr serves as MI-W's top wicket-taker, and her absence created major problems for the team. Costly fielding lapses MI-W has not performed well in fielding, which has affected their standard fielding performance. The team has dropped approximately 10 catches throughout five matches, which marks their worst catching record in four seasons. MI-W lost crucial matches against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz because they missed opportunities to score points. The team lost momentum several times after MI-W made simple errors, which included dropped catches and missed run-outs. Are MI-W still in the race? The Mumbai Indians Women still remain in the tournament despite their struggling performance. The team needs to win both of their remaining matches to maintain their chances of reaching the playoffs. The season will improve for the team after they establish their overseas combination and their powerplay performance improves and their fielding efficiency increases. The team needs only one strong performance from its players to start their comeback process.