Shelley Nitschke, 41, ⁢who represented Australia in all three formats of ⁣the game from 2014 to⁤ 2017, has been appointed as an assistant coach for the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 season. She will work alongside head coach Lisa Keightley, bowling coach and mentor Jhulan Goswami, batting coach Devika Palshikar, ⁤and fielding coach Nicole Bolton.

This marks Keightley’s first season with MI, following three seasons with the Delhi Capitals.

Nitschke on Joining the MI Coaching Staff

Nitschke expressed her excitement about the opportunity, especially the chance to collaborate with a legend like Jhulan Goswami. “It’s an amazing opportunity to work with someone like a Jhulan Goswami, one of the greats ⁤of the game, somebody I played cricket against,” Nitschke stated in a Mumbai⁤ Indians Instagram post. She also highlighted the team’s strong culture, describing it as a “family” and a winning environment.

Nitschke’s Playing ⁤and Coaching Background

Nitschke’s playing career included one Test match, 30 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and ⁢18 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). She also played for the⁢ Melbourne Stars ⁤in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) from 2015-16 to 2019-20. Following her playing career, Nitschke transitioned to coaching, gaining experience in the WBBL, The Hundred, and with the Australia Under-19 women’s team.

WPL ⁢2025 Details

Mumbai Indians have won two of the three WPL seasons played to date. The next season is scheduled to begin on January ⁢9, 2025, with a ⁣match against the 2024 champions, Royal⁣ Challengers Bengaluru‍ (RCB). The 28-day tournament will be hosted across two venues in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.

This is the first time the WPL will be held in the January-February window, a shift from the previous February-March schedule preceding the Indian Premier League (IPL).

MI Squad Retention

During last month’s auction, Mumbai Indians focused on retaining and re-acquiring players who had previously represented the ‍team in the first three WPL seasons.