Meg Lanning Joins UP Warriorz As Franchise Plans Fresh Start

The UP Warriorz are set to begin the new Women’s Premier League 2026 season on the back foot and in a desperate bid to end the disturbing trend in their results. The team had finished third in the first edition of the WPL and fourth in the second edition. The 2025 season was the lowest point for the team as they finished last on the points table.

The season began for them with two back-to-back defeats, a brief recovery was followed by another setback with three consecutive defeats and once again nailed their growth. Alyssa Healy’s absence showed how the team missed an experienced leader at the helm, and poor batting shows made things worse.

Mega-Auction Brings Major Squad Overhaul

Eager to redevelop, the UP Warriorz were very active during the mega auction. They retained only Shweta Sehrawat as their uncapped player and rebuilt the squad with many Big Bash League signings.

Some of the key signings:

Deepti Sharma and Sophie Ecclestone, retention at high fees.
Continued support for local talent Kiran Navgire and Kranti Goud
A fierce bidding war for the signing of Meg Lanning for 2.9 crores, which made her the marquee player
Shikha Pandey, bought for INR 2.4 crores after competing with RCB

Such initiatives reflect the determination of the franchise to regain competitiveness with the onset of the new administration.

Wicketkeeping: A Lingering Concern

Despite the changed playing eleven, wicket-keeping remains the area of concern for the UP Warriorz. Shipra Giri remains the only wicket-keeping option for the side, albeit untested in the same league. Shweta Sehrawat and Kiran Navgire are also capable of operating in the role if the need arises. Up Warriorz head coach Abhishek Nayar seems to have the same strategy in store for the side.

Newsmakers: Meg Lanning Takes Charge

The UP Warriorz have a major storyline in the form of literally having one of the best captains in women’s cricket in Meg Lanning. This is expected to be just what they need to make up for last season where they had no direction.

As part of the leadership transition, there is the appointment of a new head coach in the form of Abhishek Nayar. It is the first big role for the coach in female cricket following the departure of the previous coach in Jon Lewis.

Player to Watch: Kiran Navgire

A name that can really make a difference to the UP Warriorz team is Kiran Navgire. The 31-year-old right-handed power-hitter had a glimmer of her potent skills last season itself. However, she has made tremendous improvement in her fitness level.

Sr. Women’s T20 Trophy: Average 46.60, Strike Rate 235.35

Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy: 245 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 177.53

If Navgire capitalizes the power play, the UP Warriorz may start their matches on a strong note.

Probable Playing XI

Meg Lanning (c)

Kiran Navgire

Phoebe Litchfield

Harleen Deol

Deandra Dottin

Shweta Sehrawat (wk)

Deepti Sharma

Sophie Ecclestone

Shikha Pandey

S Asha

Kranti Goud

Bench: Simran Shaikh, G Trisha, Shipra Giri, Chloe Tryon, Charlie Knott, Suman Meena

Challenging Schedule Ahead

The first round of the tournament is going to be quite a challenge for the UP Warriorz. With five matches in eight days in Navi Mumbai, their calendar is quite packed. They also have to play both the 3:30 PM matches.

There will only be three games in Vadodara, and it is important for the UP Warriorz team led by Meg Lanning to win these early games. They will have an advantage at DY Patil Stadium having experienced it before through head coach Abhishek Nayar.