The 2026 WPL is set to begin on January 9 and with only three days to go, all the teams have begun with their preparations. UP Warriorz and Gujrat Giants will be facing each other on January 10.
Meg Lanning will be the captain of UP Warriorz after the withdrawal of Alyssa Healey from the tournament. Lanning was the captain of Delhi Capitals for the first three seasons and has led the team to play three consecutive finals. However, DC have failed to claim the title. Lanning has been a part of the Australian squad that won seven World Cup titles, including five ICC Women’s T20 World Cups and two ICC Women’s ODI World Cups. She led the team in T20 World Cups in 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023, and the 2022 ODI World Cup. She also helped Australia secure a gold medial in the Commonwealth Games. Lanning is known for her awareness on the field, calmness under pressure and her prolific batting performances which will set the tone for the other batters in the franchise. She will also play a crucial role to shape young domestic batters like Shweta Sehrawat.
The bowling line-up of UP Warrior is strong and has Shikha Pandey, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Shobhana, Deepti Sharma, Chloe Tryon and Kranti Gaud. The batting relies heavily on Lanning, Sophie Litchfield, Deandra Dottin, Deepti Sharma and Kiran Navgire. The wicketkeeping option still remains a point of concern for UP.
Abhishek Nayar has joined as the head coach of the team for the 2026 season. Nayar is also head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming IPL. He has worked with players like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer individually and has helped them with their skills. How he works with the team, manages team selection and trains the girls ahead of the 2026 season as head coach will be interesting to look out for. With Lanning as the captain, the job for Nayar will be a little easier, given the player’s experience.
This time the challenge for Lanning will be to help UP get over the line and win their first WPL title.
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