Who is Sanskriti Gupta? MI Women Spinner Set for WPL 2026 Opener
The decision taken by Mumbai Indians to retain young off-spinner Sanskriti Gupta at the WPL 2026 mega auction has generated fresh interest among fans, especially with the tournament opener on the horizon where MI Women squares off against RCB Women at the DY Patil Stadium.
The 20-year-old, who also had a season last year showing exceptional control and good lower-order hitting skills, has now found a spot in the Playing XI of the Mumbai Indians Women for the opening match.
Curiosity must naturally rise when a franchise with such a great winning pedigree as the MI decides to back a lesser-known player. Sanskriti underwent a similar experience, having taken four wickets in six innings at an average of 14, an economy of 6.58 and strike rate of 12.7, with the best of 2/11 last season. Her spirit, enthusiasm and encouraging voice during team huddles, especially acknowledged in the squad against Delhi Capitals.
Even at 20, she has shown great awareness of the game, a competitive spirit, and quickness on the field. On one occasion, she almost crashed into Broadcast's camera while rushing onto the field.
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Early Journey & Competitive Mindset
In an earlier interview with Sportstar, Sanskriti explained her mindset in one particular incident during a team huddle:
“I just told them ‘All the teams have one match winner, but we have 11 match winners. Play like a champion, like a warrior.’ I used to play with the boys in the afternoon with a plastic ball that made a lot of noise. That would disturb the sleeping neighborhood. I used to get scolded for that.”
Most probably, her cricketing journey itself began quite unexpectedly. She first arrived at the academy imagining it was for football.
“There came my doubts on whether I could join my seniors; then I found out they were playing football. I hadn’t know which kind of academy it was. It was monsoon season, and you usually play football in this rain, not cricket. Once the rain was over, the cricket coaching began. From there began my journey.”
She narrated how she had begun as a fast bowler before switching to off-spin bowling:
“Honestly, I would wonder whether I’ll ever get chances. But now I’m getting those opportunities. They believe in me. The plan was to start slowly and build my confidence game by game, but it has been a good experience. I think every cricketer starts off as a medium pacer. I played U-16 for my state in pace and I never used to get bowling.”
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Re-Signing with MI: Bond, Belief & Continuity
It took the Mumbai Indians no time to lift the paddle in the WPL 2026 mega auction and acquire Sanskriti from the uncapped category at the price of INR 20 lakh by matching her base price. When the auctioneer's hammer validated the transfer, it came true as a wish.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Sanskriti said:
"I was watching it and a wish was running in my mind that MI should pick me back, so that I can play in my usual way forever. It did happen, and I was so delighted."
To her, MI was a lot more than just continuity for the franchise. It was freedom of cricketing expression and comfort.
She said:
"It's a very good franchise with a very family-like vibe. The thought has always been that I can always maintain my playing style very well if I get to play for MI."
The family vibe is one of MI's strongholds. With numerous first-team members returning for the new season, Gupta believes familiarity will help their title defence.
She added:
"Apart from the retained players, so many of our first eleven players are back. This feels great because all of us have a great bond from playing all matches together and spending a lot of good time off the field. With almost all of us back together, it feels good that we are back for at least the next two years, and hopefully the bonding between us becomes stronger than ever."