New Delhi, Feb 9
India's off-spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma has been named as new captain of the UP Warriorz ahead of the 2025 season of the Women's Premier League (WPL), starting from February 14.
Deepti, 27, will be taking over the captaincy duties from Australia skipper Alyssa Healy, who was ruled out of WPL 2025 due to a recurring foot injury. Under Alyssa's captaincy, UP Warriorz finished third in WPL 2023, before making a league stage exit in the 2024 edition.
The Warriorz signed Deepti for Rs 2.6 crore during the inaugural auction. In the 2023 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. Deepti was recently named in ICC's 2024 Women's T20I Team of the Year, alongside India teammates Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh, who will be turning out for defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in WPL 2025.
Deepti has been India's vice-captain in the past and has taken up the leadership mantle at the domestic level. She also captained Velocity to a runners-up finish in the fourth and final season of the Women's T20 Challenge in 2022. But captaining UP Warriorz in WPL 2025 is unarguably her biggest challenge as a captain.
At the franchise, she will also have the counsel of Tahlia McGrath and Chamari Athapaththu, who have led Australia and Sri Lanka respectively in international cricket. Deepti 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 WPL 2025 squad: Deepti Sharma (c), Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Vrinda Dinesh, Saima Thakor, Chamari Athapaththu, Alana King, Chinelle Henry, Uma Chetry, Anjali Sarvani, Poonam Khemnar, Gouher Sultana, Arushi Goel and Kranti Goud.
- IANS