"When team plays together, that's when it becomes powerful": UP Warriorz head coach Abhishek Nayar ahead of WPL 2026

Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 5 : UP Warriorz head coach Abhishek Nayar is optimistic about the team's chances in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026. He believes the team is strong, with a balanced squad, but emphasised that true strength comes from playing together on the ground.
The UP Warriorz squad features a mix of experienced players such as Meg Lanning, Deepti Sharma, and Sophie Ecclestone, alongside talented young players like Shweta Sehrawat and Pratika Rawal.
The WPL 2026 season begins on January 9 with a blockbuster opener in Navi Mumbai, where defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
"When the team plays together, that's when it becomes powerful. In our opinion, the team is very good, but I've always believed that a team isn't built on paper; it's built on the ground. So, you'll get an idea of how the team is playing after the first match. In the T20 format, form is very important, so the team looks very good on paper. The entire team is strong. Now, we'll see how everyone is in form during the tournament," Abhishek Nayar told ANI.
UP Warriorz, which finished at the bottom of the points table last season with just three wins in eight matches, will start their campaign against Gujarat Giants from January 10 onwards.
Lanning, who has won seven World Cups for Australia, including five as captain, will lead the side. Lanning not only brings immense leadership qualities to the UP Warriorz but also plenty of firepower as an opening batter.
Deepti, the franchise's most valuable player with 507 runs and 27 wickets in 25 matches, will continue with UPW after being retained through the Right-to-Match option.
UPW further strengthened their spin battery by using their second Right-to-Match to bring back world-class left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone for Rs 85 lakh, reinforcing a proven and reliable bowling unit.
UP Warriorz now heads into WPL 2026 with renewed purpose and a reinforced squad built around experience, youth and world-class leadership.
Squad: Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, KP Navgire, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal, Shweta Sehrawat, CL Tryon, SL Meena, TG Norris, Trisha Gongadi, SR Giri, Simran Shaikh.