Mumbai Indians appoint Kristen Beams as spin-bowling coach:Former Australian leg-spinner takes the charge ahead of WPL 2026

Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have appointed former Australian leg-spinner Kristen Beams as the spin bowling coach for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. The 41-year-old Beams has played international cricket for Australia in all three formats. Kristen Beams has previously held coaching roles in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), The Hundred, and with Australia’s Under-19 women’s team. As a player, she played one Test, 30 ODIs, and 18 T20 matches for Australia. Kristen Beams has now joined the Mumbai Indians’ coaching staff, which includes head coach Lisa Keightley (her first season with MI, previously coach of Delhi Capitals), bowling coach and mentor Jhulan Goswami, batting coach Devika Palshikar, and fielding coach Nicole Bolton. Also Read: Records broken by Virat Kohli in 2025:Fastest Indian to score 14,000 ODI runs, completes 1,000 runs in ICC knockouts; finished second in rankings Beams said – It’s an honour to work with Jhulan Goswami In MI’s Instagram post, Kirsten Beams said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for me. Working with a legendary player like Jhulan Goswami is very special. I have played against her, and now working with her is a matter of pride for me. The Mumbai Indians have created a strong winning culture, and this team is like a family.” MI has clinched two WPL titles so far Mumbai Indians have won the title in two out of the three WPL seasons held so far. WPL 2026 will begin on 9 January, with MI’s first match against the 2024 champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This 28-day tournament will be played in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. For the first time, WPL is being organised in the January-February window. In last month’s auction, MI retained most of its players and re-purchased some. With the addition of Kristen Beams, the team’s spin bowling is expected to strengthen further.