The UP Warriorz skipper Meg Lanning became the first Australian and the 3rd player after Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur to surpass 1,000 WPL Runs.
In a poignant twist of T20 fortunes, 33-year-old Meg Lanning etched her name deeper into Women’s Premier League (WPL) history on January 14, 2026, becoming the first Australian, and just the third player overall after Nat Sciver-Brunt and Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, to surpass 1,000 career runs in the tournament.
Ahead of UP Warriorz’s clash against Delhi Capitals at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Lanning sat tantalisingly on 996 runs, needing just four more to crack the milestone. Opening alongside Kiran Navgire in the 7th match of the 4th edition, she delivered her maiden half-century for the Warriorz, a classy 54 off 38 balls, featuring 9 boundaries and a maximum, before her side was restricted to 154/8.
Despite Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues winning the toss and opting to bowl, chasing down the total with 7 wickets in hand, Lanning’s knock propelled her to 1,050 WPL runs overall, underscoring her enduring class amid UP Warriorz’s third straight defeat and a spot at the bottom of the points table.
Lanning’s WPL romance began explosively on March 5, 2023, captaining Delhi Capitals in the second game of the inaugural edition against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by Smriti Mandhana, at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Opening with Shafali Verma, she unleashed a debut 72 off 43 balls, 14 boundaries, ripping through the attack, as the Capitals racked up a mammoth 223/2, sealing a 60-run rout. That set the tone for her Capitals reign.
Under her leadership, Delhi Capitals dominated league stages across the first three seasons, clinching top-of-the-table finishes and direct finals berths each time, though they agonisingly settled for runners-up silverware. Lanning remains Delhi Capitals all-time leading run-scorer with 952 runs in 27 innings at a strike rate of 127.10 and an average of 39.66, boasting 9 half-centuries.
Her pinnacle arrived on March 7, 2025, against Gujarat Giants at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow: a gritty 92 off 57 balls (15 boundaries, 1 six) opening with Verma, powering the Capitals to 177/5 in a heartbreaking loss. From debut dazzle to consistent brilliance, Lanning defined DC’s batting backbone.
The winds of change blew at the mega auction on November 27, 2025, when UP Warriorz snapped Lanning for 1.90 CR and appointed her skipper for the 4th edition. Trading Delhi’s Blue and Red to UP’s Yellow and Purple, she slotted into the opener’s role seamlessly. In three innings so far, she’s the team’s second-highest scorer with 98 runs at a 113.95 strike rate and 32.66 average, including that milestone 54, cementing her as the glue in a struggling lineup.
Overall, Lanning now occupies second place on the WPL’s all-time run charts: 1,050 runs in 30 innings at 125.74 strike rate and 38.88 average, with a record-equalling 10 half-centuries. As UP Warriorz lick their wounds from another reversal, Lanning’s hunger for runs and team revival promises fireworks ahead in this high-stakes season.
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