In the aftermath of UP Warriorz’s 5-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals in Match 20 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, on February 1, head coach Abhishek Nayar faced the media with characteristic candour. The loss cemented Warriorz at the bottom of the points table with just 4 points from 8 games, two wins and six defeats, while propelling Delhi into the Eliminator and eliminating defending champions Mumbai Indians from the playoffs for the first time in tournament history.
Nayar dissected the season’s frustrations, from injuries to batting inconsistencies, while highlighting bright spots in a press conference that blended honest assessment with optimism.
Delhi Capitals’ bowlers strangled UP Warriorz to 122/8, led by Marizanne Kapp’s 3/30 (Player of the Match). Chinelle Henry’s dream start, dismissing skipper Meg Lanning for a golden duck, set the tone, though Deepti Sharma (24 off 19) and lower-order fights from Simran Shaikh (22 off 14), Shikha Pandey (23* off 13), and Sophie Ecclestone (10* off 20) offered resistance.
In the chase, Shafali Verma (29 off 33) and Laura Wolvaardt (47 off 36) forged a crucial 73-run stand, with skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (34* off 18) steering home victory with 8 balls left. Deepti starred again for Warriorz, claiming 2/27.
Abhishek Nayar pinpointed Phoebe Litchfield’s injury as a turning point, noting her 243 runs at 154.77 strike rate and 40.50 average across six innings, including two half-centuries. “I just think it’s a season where it’s very hard to pinpoint what was wrong. We lost Phoebe Litchfield to injury after that. I think that in a way also impacted, number three didn’t look the same post-Phoebe Litchfield,” he said.
Top-order woes persisted, with Kiran Navgire struggling and experiments like promoting Deepti (131 runs at 119.09 strike rate, plus 7 wickets) yielding mixed results. On Deepti’s opener role, Nayar defended the data-driven call: “There was a thought process behind it, a left-hander in that setup, we needed that left-hander to come and take the bowlers on in the power play.”
He addressed Shweta Sehrawat’s lean campaign (46 runs at 97.87 strike rate from 7 matches), dropped for the final game amid open communication. “We know what Shweta Sehrawat has done in the past, but it was just one of the seasons where she couldn’t; you have to look forward and have to look at the other options. So, it is just one of those things. So, very easy conversation.”
Lanning topped Warriorz scoring with 248 runs at 125.25 strike rate, yet Nayar praised her steady leadership: “We found our leader in Meg Lanning, her actions speak louder than words.”
Amid the disappointments, Nayar spotlighted positives like Shikha Pandey’s all-round impact and Litchfield’s emergence, framing the season as a learning curve. “I think there are a lot of bright spots, but the consistency of doing it, and the timing of everyone doing it together, was only two games.” He emphasised a growth mindset and morale, crediting Lanning’s presence for keeping the dressing room buoyant despite the skid.
Looking ahead, Nayar learned “more than 5%” about supporting leaders in women’s cricket, confident in the franchise’s trajectory. Warriorz exit early, but Nayar’s reflections signal resolve for revival.
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