Across the first three seasons of the WPL, the UP Warriorz often appeared close to something meaningful, but never quite able to consolidate it. They had match-winners, but not a full match-winning system. They had visible strengths, but also chronic gaps especially in leadership and batting continuity.
Now, ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction, UP Warriorz have chosen a route that no other team has dared to take: a complete strategic reset. Where most franchises retained their core Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals kept five each, RCB kept four UP Warriorz retained just one player.
Not Alyssa Healy, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone or Grace Harris.
The only retained player is Shweta Sehrawat, an uncapped young Indian batter.
And it is not an oversight. It is a calculated restructuring move.
By retaining just one player, UP Warriorz enter the auction with:
- The largest remaining purse in the league: ₹14.5 crore
- The maximum number of RTM (Right to Match) cards: 4
This is the most financial and tactical power any WPL franchise has ever walked into an auction with. It is not a gamble it is a planned inversion of the retention model itself.
What the Reset Really Means
Releasing stars is not the same as losing them.
In fact, UP Warriorz released their best players to regain control over how they are valued.
If they had retained Deepti Sharma and Sophie Ecclestone outright, they would have paid fixed retention slabs ₹3.5 crore and ₹2.5 crore totaling ₹6 crore, and would have received only two RTM cards.
By releasing them, UPW:
- Lose nothing in their ability to re-sign them
- Gain four RTM cards instead of two
- Allow the market to decide price
- Ensure they can match any bid and take them back
UP Warriorz have essentially said to the league: “If you want our players, you’re going to have to spend your purse trying.”
Meanwhile, UPW preserve theirs. It is auction warfare through economics.
Why Shweta Sehrawat Was the One Retained
The retention of Shweta Sehrawat serves two strategic purposes:
- Financial efficiency: As an uncapped retention, she costs UPW only ₹0.5 crore.
- Long-term structural investment: Sehrawat provides a low-cost Indian top-order option, which helps balance future squad composition.
Her retention is not about current output, it is about infrastructure.
A strong squad needs cap-flexible Indian batters, and Sehrawat fits that calculation. The Core They Fully Intend to Bring Back
Using RTM cards, UP Warriorz will now target the return of:
| Player | Role | Why They Must Return | RTM Priority |
| Deepti Sharma | Indian all-rounder | India’s most valuable multi-phase player | RTM 1 |
| Sophie Ecclestone | Overseas spinner | The world’s best T20 bowler | RTM 2 |
| Grace Harris | Overseas power-hitting all-rounder | Unique finishing ability | RTM 3 |
| Either Alyssa Healy or Tahlia McGrath | Leadership / Middle-order stability | To restore game-direction structure | RTM 4 (Context dependent) |
The order matters. Without Deepti and Ecclestone, UPW lose identity. With them, they regain both control and bowling shape. The Leadership Decision: The One Variable That Will Define This Auction
UP Warriorz now face one defining decision:
Who should lead the new squad? There are two routes:
Option A: Bring back Alyssa Healy
This restores continuity and leadership temperament but uses an RTM or overseas slot.
Option B: Sign an external captain
The most likely candidate here is Meg Lanning, if she is active in WPL 2026.
But this would require UPW to:
- Spend heavy early
- Prioritize leadership over power-hitting
Option C: Make Deepti Sharma captain
If they RTM her successfully, UPW may choose to build an Indian leadership spine.This is the most structurally sustainable option. The captaincy decision will shape:
- Overseas combinations
- Auction phase sequencing
- Balance between aggression and control
This is the pivot point of the rebuild. Where the Auction Will Be Won or Lost
UP Warriorz are not simply rebuilding a lineup they are rebuilding a structure.
Secure the core (RTM use)
This phase determines whether the reset succeeds.
- Deepti Sharma RTM
- Sophie Ecclestone RTM
- Grace Harris RTM
If these three are secured, UPW’s backbone returns immediately.
Acquire a captain and opener: This must be done early, before price inflation builds.
Build pace depth: UPW have historically been spin-first, which makes them predictable.
They must add:
- One overseas pacer (speed > 120 kmph)
- Two Indian seamers with role clarity (powerplay or death-specific)
Fill squad with high-ceiling uncapped talent: Not depth for the sake of depth but value-curve players.
What Makes This Strategy High-Stakes and High-Reward
The margin for error is small, but the reward is massive.
If UPW execute this plan correctly:
- They reassemble a stronger version of their 2025 core
- They upgrade captaincy and pace bowling
- They enter the season with balance and flexibility
- They become immediate title contenders
If they misjudge RTM timing or allow emotional bidding to override sequencing, they could be left with:
- A purse too large late in the auction
- No centerpiece around which to build structure
- A roster full of individuals rather than a team
The difference between the two outcomes is discipline. UP Warriorz have chosen a brave, carefully engineered route one that acknowledges that WPL titles are not won by sentiment, or familiarity, or marquee attraction.
They are won by:
- Financial intelligence
- Roster timing
- Role balance
- Cohesion built deliberately, not inherited
This reset is not a risk. It is a bet on control.
And for the first time, UP Warriorz are not reacting to the league. They are shaping it.
