We are just a handful of days away from another scintillating season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). As the stage gets bigger and better, captain-led teams would be aiming to hit the bull’s eye with their tactical and strategic preparedness.
The UP Warriorz are set to enter a new era as Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma takes over from Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, who has opted out of the tournament due to a stress injury in her right foot.
Former Indian batsman Suresh Raina announced the new skipper during the live broadcast of the Men’s India vs England ODI series. Deepti will even get an opportunity to lead the side in front of the home crowd – the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Deepti Sharma, the newly anointed skipper of UP Warriorz, has vowed to lead with the same bold and charismatic approach in this season as her predecessor, Alyssa Healy.
“Based on my discussions with her (Healy) in the last two seasons and her mindset, I found out that she used to like taking risks,” said the star-allrounder.
The Healy-led side reached the Eliminator in 2023 but were punched hard by a single-handed show by Indians’ Nat Sciver-Brunt while they endured a disappointing 2024 after finishing fourth on the points table.
“There were times when we used to think differently on the ground, but she always loved taking risks. I have learned that from her.”
“The more we’ll play out of our comfort zone or take tough decisions, the more it’ll help us and lead our team to a good note,” said the 27-year-old.
Across 17 games, Sharma has been a consistent performer for the UP franchise, smashing 385 runs in 16 innings while also picking up 19 wickets. Her WPL 2024 campaign was indeed special, where she piled up 295 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 136.57 and a mind-boggling incredible average of 98.33. Sharma also made an impact with the ball, picking up ten wickets at an economy rate of 7.23.
“I prefer a top-order position, be it three, four or whatever. When I get more number of balls, I play and execute well,” said Deepti.
“I like to play in the top order regardless of the format because the more I play at the top, I understand and read the game better in terms of how I can deal with a particular situation or what can be a par score.”
Deepti has taken to franchise cricket like a fish to water, thanks to her vast experience in the action-packed T20 leagues across the globe. Apart from her Indian experience, Deepti played a pivotal role in helping London Spirit bag The Hundred title in 2024. She has also been a part of Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League and will look to sum her experience to bring new-found expertise to the Jon Lewis- coached team.
Her experience in Australia’s WBBL, where she represented Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder, further strengthens her resume as a leader. Deepti’s leadership skills add valuable strength and valour to the Warriorz. She has previously led Bengal in domestic cricket, captained East Zone in the 2024 Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal One Day Trophy, and also took charge of Velocity in the 2022 Women’s T20 Challenge.
Despite having been part of teams from tournaments that have been established long before the WPL, Deepti believes there is a transformative shift in momentum towards the Indian-born league.
“I have also played in Super League, so you get to know about different leagues when you play in them, but this interest has now been completely shifted,” Deepti said.
“Now overseas players ask us about the start of the WPL and how the tournament is played. The way Indian players used to think of playing the foreign leagues, similarly the overseas players now want to play in the WPL… because they find it as a good opportunity.”
The Warriorz are set to get the proceedings underway against the Gujarat Giants on February 16 in Vadodara. Though Healy would be missed, yet the star Indian all-rounder would love to script history.
(Quotes sourced from Reuters)
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