WPL 2025: Delighted and honoured to be named captain of UP Warriorz, says Deepti Sharma
New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) After being named as captain of the UP Warriorz for the 2025 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), India’s ace all-rounder Deepti Sharma said she felt delighted and honoured to be given the franchise’s leadership role.
UP Warriorz were captained by Australia skipper Alyssa Healy in the first two editions of the WPL, where they made the playoffs in the first season in 2023. After making a group-stage exit last year, UP Warriorz will be looking to go one better this year under Deepti’s leadership, especially with Alyssa ruled out due to a recurring foot injury.
“I am delighted and honoured to be named captain of the UP Warriorz, which is a team from my home state. The UP Warriorz has a fantastic squad, and we are confident that we will entertain our fans with the Warriorz brand of cricket, at the WPL this season as well. We can’t wait to play in Lucknow in front of our home fans, and hope to inspire the next generation of women athletes,” said Deepti in a statement issued by the franchise on Sunday.
In the 2023 WPL season, she went on to take nine wickets while scoring 90 runs with the bat. In WPL 2024, she amassed 295 runs, making her the fifth-highest run-getter in the competition, while taking 10 wickets, including a hat-trick against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. It also made Deepti the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in WPL history, and went on to receive the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the season as well.
“Deepti is one of the most versatile and impactful players in Indian cricket, and we are thrilled to have her lead UP Warriorz this season. Her sharp cricketing mind, all-round abilities, and calm leadership under pressure make her the ideal captain to guide this team.”
“As a world-class match-winner and a fierce competitor, Deepti has time and again proven her ability to turn the game around. With her at the helm, we are confident that UP Warriorz will play fearless, dynamic cricket and make our fans proud,” said team owner Jinisha Sharma.
Deepti, who hails from Agra in Uttar Pradesh, will also be just the fourth Indian captain in the WPL after Smriti, Harmanpreet Kaur and Sneh Rana. UP Warriorz will open their WPL 2025 campaign against Gujarat Giants at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on February 16.
UP Warriorz will also get to play their home games in WPL 2025 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow when they take on Gujarat Giants (March 3), Mumbai Indians (March 6) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (March 8) respectively.
–IANS
nr/ab
