UP Warriorz are yet to announce the captain of their side with the WPL 2026 season just days away. While the rest of the teams have announced their leaders, the Warriorz have taken a wait-for-it approach as their fans keep guessing. Deepti Sharma, who led the franchise last year, was bought back via RTM and could again be handed the armband.
However, the situation is not that simple. Warriorz also roped in Australia's legendary captain Meg Lanning. Lanning led Delhi Capitals to three straight WPL finals before being eventually released. Her record with Australian team is extraordinary, making her a captaincy favourite.
When quizzed about it after the WPL auction, director of cricket Kshemal Waingankar said it was "too early to say". A month has since passed but there has been no update regarding the same.
What complicates the situation is Lanning's overseas quota. UP Warriorz have a stacked roster and the Australian might not feature in their best XI. The 33-year-old has scored a truckload of runs at the top of the order, but Nayar has multiple options under his belt. Lanning is amongst the leading run getters in WPL history.
Under Deepti Sharma, Warriorz won just 3 out of their 8 games and failed to make the playoffs. Alyssa Healy led the franchise in the first two seasons, where they finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
UP Warriorz Squad: Deepti Sharma, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Kiran Navgire, Pratika Rawal, Simran Shaikh, Harleen Deol, Gongadi Trisha, Deandra Dottin, Shweta Sehrawat, Shikha Pandey, Asha Shobhana, Chloe Tryon, Suman Meena, Shipra Giri, Sophie Ecclestone, Kranti Gaud
