WPL 2025: Deepti Sharma Takes Charge as UP Warriorz Captain

Key Takeaways

Deepti Sharma appointed captain of UP Warriorz.
Season starts on February 14, 2025.
Deepti is the first Indian to take a hat-trick in WPL.
She was part of ICC’s 2024 Women’s T20I Team of the Year.
Warriorz open against Gujarat Giants on February 16.

New Delhi, Feb 9 (NationPress) Deepti Sharma, India’s off-spin all-rounder, has been appointed as the new captain of the UP Warriorz for the 2025 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which is set to commence on February 14.

Deepti, aged 27, will assume the captaincy from Australia’s skipper Alyssa Healy, who is unable to participate in WPL 2025 due to a persistent foot injury. Under Alyssa’s leadership, the UP Warriorz secured third place in the WPL 2023 but faced an early exit in the 2024 season.

The franchise acquired Deepti for Rs 2.6 crore during the inaugural auction. In the 2023 season, she claimed nine wickets and scored 90 runs. During WPL 2024, she accumulated 295 runs, ranking her as the fifth-highest run-scorer in the tournament, while also taking 10 wickets, including a remarkable hat-trick against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Her achievement made Deepti the first Indian bowler to achieve a hat-trick in the history of the WPL. Recently, she was included in the ICC’s 2024 Women’s T20I Team of the Year, alongside fellow Indian teammates Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh, who will represent the reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in WPL 2025.

Deepti has previously served as India’s vice-captain and has taken up leadership roles at the domestic level, notably leading Velocity to a second-place finish in the last edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge in 2022. However, leading the UP Warriorz in WPL 2025 presents her with a significant challenge.

She will benefit from the guidance of Tahlia McGrath and Chamari Athapaththu, who have captained their respective national teams, Australia and Sri Lanka, at the international level. Deepti will be just the fourth Indian captain in the WPL, following Smriti, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Sneh Rana. The UP Warriorz will kick off their WPL 2025 journey 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.