# Reema Malhotra: Mumbai Indians should target Sushma Verma at WPL auction 2026-10-24T14:36:24+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets JioStar expert Reema Malhotra has said Mumbai Indians should target wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma at the upcoming WPL 2027 mini-auction to fix their opening issues. Speaking on JioStar’s Game Plan, Malhotra said Mumbai have retained their core but need to sort out their opening pair after trying G Kamalini, Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr last season. She noted that Verma had a strong domestic season and performed well in the Women's Caribbean Premier League, and had been called for trials by the MI team management. Malhotra also said Mumbai need an Indian pacer as backup for Tara Norris, and should keep an eye on batter Shweta Sehrawat. On UP Warriorz, she said they need an aggressive Indian opener and a wicketkeeper, suggesting G Kamalini as a good fit. The WPL 2027 auction is scheduled for 28 October 2026 in Kochi. According to crictracker.com, 146 players have registered for 27 slots across five franchises. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three sources report on the same expert prediction, with ndtv.com and deccanchronicle.com both attributing the analysis to Reema Malhotra. Ndtv.com leads with a short headline and the broad suggestion, while deccanchronicle.com provides a more detailed breakdown of her views on MI's squad gaps and UP Warriorz's needs. Crictracker.com does not mention Malhotra or Sushma Verma, it runs a generic list of five Indian players expected to attract bids, including Titas Sadhu, with no overlap on the specific prediction. The coverage is uniform in its neutral reporting of an expert opinion, with no government or political angle. The concrete next step is the auction on 28 October 2026, where MI's limited purse of Rs 90 lakh will test whether they can secure Verma. ## Coverage Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral - ndtv.com (neutral report) Reports Malhotra's suggestion without additional framing - deccanchronicle.com (neutral report) Detailed expert analysis, no slant beyond quoting - crictracker.com (neutral report) Generic auction preview, no overlap on prediction This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Mumbai Indians, Reema Malhotra, Sushma Verma, WPL Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/reema-malhotra-mumbai-indians-should-target-sushma-verma-at-wpl-auction/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/reema-malhotra-mumbai-indians-should-target-sushma-verma-at-wpl-auction/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/