Milly Illingworth Stuns With Career-Best WBBL Spell After Securing First WPL Deal

Just a day after earning her maiden Women’s Premier League (WPL) deal with the Mumbai Indians, 20-year-old Australian pacer Milly Illingworth delivered a standout performance in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), producing her best-ever bowling figures.

On Saturday, November 29, the young quick starred for the Melbourne Renegades by taking 3 for 19 from her four overs against the Melbourne Stars at the Junction Oval. Illingworth removed Rhys McKenna early in the innings, then returned in the death overs to dismiss Marizanne Kapp and Danielle Gibson, both dangerous finishers known for shifting momentum late in the game.

Her spell, supported by Georgia Wareham’s 2 for 27, helped restrict the Stars to 160 for 5. However, the Renegades’ batting collapsed to 115 all out in 16.3 overs, resulting in a 45-run defeat.

The performance comes at a perfect moment for Illingworth, who was picked up by the Mumbai Indians in the accelerated rounds of the WPL 2026 auction at her base price of ₹10 lakh. The youngster went unsold twice before MI invested in her, recognising her long-term potential.

Illingworth has taken 17 wickets in 33 WBBL matches at an average of 31.52. At MI, she will train alongside experienced campaigners like Nicola Carey and pace legend Shabnim Ismail—the world’s fastest bowler—giving her an invaluable growth environment.

Having played the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2023, where she claimed four wickets at an economy of 5.06, the promising pacer now has a major opportunity to evolve under elite guidance. Given MI’s star-studded line-up featuring Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Carey and Ismail, Illingworth may have to wait for her WPL debut—but her upward trajectory is hard to ignore.

Mumbai Indians will begin their WPL 2026 campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on January 9 at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, aiming to add to their 2023 and 2025 titles.