Where UP Warriorz finished in WPL 2024
Fourth. One place worse than what they managed in 2023. They were inconsistent all season, managing just three wins in eight matches and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
What's new in WPL 2025?
For starters, a new captain. Deepti Sharma will lead Warriorz in WPL 2025 after Alyssa Healy pulled out due to a stress injury in her right foot. Deepti has been with Warriorz side since the first season and was their shining light with ball and bat in 2024.
Warriorz have opted to bring in West Indies middle-order batter and quick bowler Chinelle Henry as a replacement for Healy.
Warriorz went into the auction with the second-highest purse of INR 3.9 crore and three slots to fill. They ended up using only INR 50 lakh of that amount which they used to buy Alana King, Arushi Goel and Kranti Goud. It is likely that all three might not get into the first XI right away.
Squad and likely XI
1 Chamari Athapaththu, 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Kiran Navgire, 4 Grace Harris, 5 Tahlia McGrath, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Uma Chetry (wk), 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Anjali Sarvani/Kranti Goud, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Rajeshwari Gayakwad/Gouher Sultana
Other players: Shweta Sehrawat, Poonam Khemnar, Arushi Goel, Alana King, Chinelle Henry
Key players: Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Chamari Athapaththu
It is hard to look past Deepti, who is Warriorz's third-highest run-getter (385 runs in 16 innings) and their second-highest wicket-taker (19 wickets in 17 innings) overall. Deepti has been in terrific form in the last 12 months, averaging close to 50 with the bat and 21.13 with the ball in T20 cricket. She showed her range in WPL 2024, scoring runs at a fair clip and taking wickets like she always does. Now with the added responsibility, Deepti becomes an even more vital cog in the setup.
Sophie Ecclestone, WPL's highest wicket-taker and the highest wicket-taker in T20s over the last 12 months, will also have an important role to play in conditions where pitches are likely to turn.
The other key player in the Warriorz line-up is Chamari Athapaththu. She did not always start last season, but now, with Healy not around, she is expected to get an extended run at the top. Don't discount her offspin as well.
Young one to watch: Kranti Goud
Kranti Goud, the 21-year-old Madhya Pradesh quick, is a player to keep an eye on. She is rapid and gets plenty of movement both off the surface and in the air. She picked up 15 wickets in nine matches at the Senior Women's One-Day Trophy in December last year, which included a 4 for 25 in the final that helped MP to the title. Warriorz do not have a lot of pace in their unit and Goud could help add that extra nip.
UP Warriorz's league fixtures
Warriorz are the last team to start the season, on the third day against Gujarat Giants in Vadodara. This is the first season they will get to play in their home city of Lucknow. They start the season with two games in Vadodara, before they move to Bengaluru for three games and then to Lucknow for their final three league games.