Mumbai Indians (MI) have appointed former Australia leg-spinner Kristen Beams as their spin-bowling coach ahead of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season.
The move strengthens MI’s coaching setup as the two-time champions aim to defend their title and continue their dominance in the tournament.
Beams brings a wealth of experience both as a former international cricketer and as a coach. She represented Australia between 2014 and 2017 across all three formats, playing one Test, 30 ODIs, and 18 T20Is.
During her playing career, Beams was known for her discipline and tactical awareness, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker at the 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
At the domestic level, Beams featured prominently for the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) from the 2015–16 season to 2019–20, appearing in 45 matches before transitioning into coaching.
After retiring from playing, she built an impressive coaching resume, working in the WBBL, The Hundred, and with the Australia Women’s Under-19 team.
She has also served as National Development Lead at Cricket Australia and, most recently, worked as Community Cricket Manager – South at Cricket Tasmania.
Speaking about her appointment in an Instagram post shared bythe Mumbai Indians, Beams expressed her excitement at joining the franchise. She highlighted the opportunity to work alongside Jhulan Goswami, one of the legends of women’s cricket, and praised MI’s strong culture.
Beams described the environment as tight-knit and family-oriented, adding that it is exactly the kind of winning culture a coach hopes to be part of.
At the Mumbai Indians, Beams will join a well-established support staff led by head coach Lisa Keightley.
The coaching group also includes bowling coach and mentor Jhulan Goswami, batting coach Devika Palshikar, and fielding coach Nicole Bolton. The upcoming WPL season will also mark Keightley’s first stint with MI, following her previous association with Delhi Capitals.
Mumbai Indians have won two of the three WPL seasons played so far and will begin their 2026 campaign on January 9 against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The 28-day tournament will be hosted across Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, marking the first time the WPL will be played in the January–February window.
With Kristen Beams named spin coach, MI has added experience, leadership, and tactical depth to their setup as they gear up for another title challenge in the Women’s Premier League.
