The games in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 have been exciting, but so have the stories off the field. It’s interesting to see how the UP Warriorz are changing since Abhishek Nayar took over as head coach.
He used to play cricket, but now he teaches it. His careful and flexible approach is helping the team do well in India’s top women’s T20 league. Before the 2026 season, the UP Warriorz franchise changed a lot. Abhishek Nayar is now the head coach. He used to be an assistant coach for the Indian men’s team and a batting coach in franchise cricket. He stepped in for Jon Lewis. The change was meant to help the team come up with new ideas and a better plan. They had been having problems lately, coming in fourth in 2024 and last in 2025.
Nayar’s appointment coincided with a complete revamp of the playing squad. They wanted to make a new team with both domestic and international players, so they only kept one player from last season, Shweta Sehrawat. Meg Lanning, an experienced Australian batter, was also chosen to be the captain in 2026. She has a lot of experience with T20 and will be a calm leader.
The UP Warriorz had a clear goal for the WPL auction: get players who had already proven they could win games and add strong Indian players to the team. They paid INR 1.9 crore to get Meg Lanning and INR 3.2 crore to re-sign Deepti Sharma, who is an all-around player, through Right-to-Match. This helped the team get better at both bat and bowl.
The final squad mix included:
- Batters: Meg Lanning (c), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Simran Shaikh, Trisha Gongadi
- All-rounders: Deepti Sharma, Deandra Dottin, Chloe Tryon, Pratika Rawal, Suman Meena
- Bowlers: Shikha Pandey, Charli Knott
Nayar’s method was to get the team to work together, learn more about the game, and come up with plans for different situations. He did this by combining experience with youth.An approach that soon had to be tested under the intense pressure of WPL cricket.
Coaching Philosophy: Attention to Detail & Clear Communication
In practice and public comments, Nayar emphasized the importance of attention to detail; he thought that coaches of women’s cricket should be more clear and explain their strategies better. He has had to learn how to talk to people in a different way since he went from coaching experienced men’s teams to leading a diverse women’s team.
Nayar says that it’s better to plan ahead than to just go with your gut. That’s how he played: he used both technical skill and tactical awareness. He has coached in a lot of different formats and teams, and he has played in 95 T20 games.
WPL 2026—Results and Tactical Turns
The UP Warriorz’s 2026 campaign has been a roller coaster:
The Warriorz lost their first game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who bowled them out for 143 runs in 12.1 overs. Grace Harris hit 85 runs off of 40 balls. The UP Warriorz lost a close game to the Gujarat Giants, scoring 197 runs for 8 wickets in response to Gujarat’s 207 runs for 4 wickets. Even though they lost, Phoebe Litchfield’s fast 78 (40) was a good thing for them.
A narrow 7-wicket loss followed against Delhi Capitals, where UPW posted 154/8 but couldn’t defend it.
First Victory, A Turning Point
The team’s fortunes changed in a thrilling clash against the Mumbai Indians. India international Harleen Deol delivered a blistering 64* off 39 balls (SR 164.10) to chase down 162 with 11 balls to spare, supported by a rapid 27 from Chloe Tryon This win was very important because it came only one day after Deol’s controversial retirement. There was a lot of talk about this choice by the coaches, but it showed that Nayar was ready to take risks.
Some of the choices about strategy weren’t the best. Nayar said that putting Deol at the top of the batting order in the loss to RCB was a mistake. He said it was the wrong choice after the top order fell apart. This honest look at yourself shows how analytical frameworks and decisions made in real time are tested during a match.
When the game is moving quickly, players are in different forms, and there are different matchups, it’s hard to keep track of T20. Plans that are well thought out can still go wrong.
Looking Ahead: Growth & Potential
The UP Warriorz have had some ups and downs early in the season, but their path gives fans hope. Lanning is a great leader who knows how to plan plays on the field. The coach is also very dedicated to making sure everyone is ready. The team has a good mix of experienced players and young players who could still make a difference in WPL 2026.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
Nayar’s main goals are to be consistent, talk to people, and make small changes. Franchise sports teams often forget these things, but they are very important for long-term success.
