Deepti Sharma Leads UP Warriorz in WPL 2025: A New Era Begins
The UP Warriorz franchise is entering a new phase with Deepti Sharma as its captain for the 2025 season of the Women’s Premier League, as Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy misses the upcoming season because of a recurring injury in her foot.
This change in leadership comes at a significant juncture for the franchise as Sharma becomes only the fourth Indian cricketer to captain in the WPL, along with Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Sneh Rana. It will now be her responsibility to provide the team with stability and strategic judgment, something they have failed at wildly in previous editions.
Deepti Sharma’s Journey with UP Warriors
The experienced all-rounder was first of all picked by UP Warriorz in the very first auction of the WPL for Rs 2.6 crore. For the last two years, she had been part of the dive in terms of bat and ball; she picked nine wickets and accumulated 90 runs in WPL 2023, whereas she was much more productive in WPL 2024, with 295 runs and 10 wickets to her name, finishing as the fifth highest run scorer of the season.
She became the first Indian woman to take a WPL hat-trick, doing so against Delhi Capitals in front of a riled Arun Jaitley Stadium with an impeccable hat-trick. It would be hard not to shine in such form, with even an ICC nomination for the 2024 Women’s T20I Team of the Year for the duo that would join RCB for WPL 2025.
A Challenge Like Never Before
Though Sharma has previously led India as vice-captain and captained domestically, leading UP Warriorz this season would be the real test of her captaincy. The closest previous experience of hers perhaps would be captaining Velocity to a runners-up finish in last year’s edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge in 2022. The WPL will provide a challenging platform for her to hone her skills in strategy for matches, team combinations, and high-stakes matches.
Having international talents such as Australian Tahlia McGrath and Sri Lanka Chamari Athapaththu on the side would benefit her further. Their leadership experience at the international level might come in handy during crucial times in the tournament.
The Road Ahead for UP Warriorz
Cricket lovers keen to see live action can do so on the starexchange, which offering streaming services. The WPL gains momentum every season, which means this season will also find more options in terms of catching the matches live and Sharma leading full throttle.
Over the years, many legendary cricketers have left their marks on the sport, earning themselves titles like the godfather of cricket. For Sharma, WPL 2025 is an opportunity to leave her mark. If she successfully leads UP Warriorz to win, it will mark a new beginning in her career as captain at the highest level.
UP Warriorz WPL 2025 Squad
The squad for this season includes :
Skipper: Deepti Sharma
Players to watch out for: Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Vrinda Dinesh, Saima Thakor, Chamari Athapaththu
The rest of the squad: Alana King, Chinelle Henry, Uma Chetry, Anjali Sarvani, Poonam Khemnar, Gouher Sultana, Arushi Goel, Kranti Goud
Conclusion
The UP Warriorz, led by their new captain and possessing one of the best-balanced squads, will be gunning to make their presence known loud and clear in WPL 2025. This might just prove to be a defining moment for Deepti Sharma as she gets into the captaincy mantle with one of the most competitive teams in the league.
- Why give the captaincy to Deepti Sharma of UP Warriorz?
UP Warriorz roped in Alyssa Healy, who was injured on her foot, and ruled her out of WPL 2025. Being one of the consistent performers to have ample experience to her credit when it comes to captaining the domestic slot, she fits well in it.
- What are Deepti Sharma’s statistics in WPL?
She took nine wickets and scored 90 runs in WPL 2023. The right-arm pacer finished WPL 2024 as the fifth-highest run-scorer with 295 runs and bagged 10 scalps, with a historic hat-trick against Delhi Capitals among those.
- How to Watch WPL 2025 Live?
Fans can watch cricket live for free, as many streaming sites offer links for live broadcasts of the tournament.
- Who are the key players for UP Warriorz in WPL 2025?
The key names are Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, and Chamari Athapaththu, along with Indian talents like Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Kiran Navgire.