WPL 2026: UP Warriorz Keep Captaincy Call Open After Rebuilding Core Around Deepti Sharma & Meg Lanning

UP Warriorz director of cricket Kshemal Waingankar says the team is not ready to name a captain for WPL 2026 yet. He shared that the call between Deepti Sharma and Meg Lanning will be made only after the full squad settles.

He said the team wants to look at how the group fits together before locking in a leader. “We’ll discuss that, but it’s too early to say. It will depend on how the squad shapes up. We’ll talk to Deepti and assess the leadership dynamics,” he said.

The Warriorz brought Deepti back using the RTM card for INR 3.2 crore. This makes her one of the joint second most expensive players in league history. The team also signed Meg Lanning for INR 1.9 crore to add more leadership and experience.

Waingankar said the decision not to retain Deepti earlier was part of a larger plan. He explained that new head coach Abhishek needed a clean slate to shape the team in his own way. “With Abhishek now at the helm, we wanted to give him a clean slate to define his vision and build the squad as he wants,” he said.

He also said the team had expected high prices in the auction. “We definitely anticipated the price to be around what we saw. As you can tell, we also aimed for Amelia Kerr and her price went up to three crores. It’s the premium you pay for a high-quality spin bowling all rounder.”

The management feels they have done well at the auction. They kept their core together by bringing back Deepti and Sophie Ecclestone. They also added a proven global leader in Lanning. Waingankar said the group is happy with how things have shaped up and believes the squad is moving in the right direction for the 2026 season.