WPL 2025: Deepti Sharma appointed as UP Warriorz captain
What's the story
Deepti Sharma has been appointed as the new captain of UP Warriorz for the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 season. The decision follows the withdrawal of regular skipper Alyssa Healy, who has been ruled out due to a stress injury in her right foot. Hailing from Agra, Sharma has been a consistent performer for the Warriorz, making her a fitting choice for the leadership role. Here's more.
Consistent performance
Sharma's impressive track record with UP Warriorz
Sharma has established herself as a match-winner for the Warriorz, having taken 19 wickets in 17 games and having scored 385 runs in 16 innings. Although the team didn't qualify for the playoffs in WPL 2024, she had a stellar season, scoring 295 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 136.57 and an average of 98.33. She also took 10 wickets at an economy of just over seven.
Leadership history
Sharma's previous leadership experiences in cricket
Sharma is no stranger to leading from the front in cricket. She has previously captained Bengal in domestic cricket and also led the East Zone in the Senior Women's Inter-Zonal One Day Trophy in 2024. She was also at the helm of Velocity during the Women's T20 Challenge way back in 2022. All these experiences have certainly prepared her well for her new role as UP Warriorz captain.
Leadership trend
Sharma joins elite group of Indian WPL franchise leaders
With this appointment, Sharma becomes part of an elite club of Indian players at the helm of WPL franchises. She now joins Smriti Mandhana of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Harmanpreet Kaur of Mumbai Indians as the three Indian skippers in the upcoming WPL season, which is set to start on February 14. This trend highlights the increasing prominence of Indian players in leadership roles in the league.
Player absence
UP Warriorz to miss Healy's contribution in WPL 2025
The Warriorz will surely miss Healy, their leading run-scorer with 428 runs in 17 games. Meanwhile, Healy's recent injury woes comes as a major blow for the side. Additionally, in October 2024, she suffered a plantar fascia rupture in her foot during the T20 World Cup, ruling her out of Australia's last group match and semi-final against South Africa. Moreover, Healy's recent injury also saw her miss the T20I leg of the women's Ashes, which Australia won 16-0 over England.
Replacement
Chinelle Henry replaced injured Healy
The Warriorz signed Chinelle Henry in their squad for the upcoming WPL season. The West Indies middle-order batter and quick bowler has taken the place of Healy, who, as mentioned has been ruled out due to a stress injury in her right foot. Meanwhile, Henry enters the tournament with some impressive recent performances under her belt. In 62 WT20Is, Henry has scored 473 runs at 14.78 besides scalping 22 wickets (ER: 6.84).
Twitter Post
X post confirming Sharma's appointment
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β UP Warriorz (@UPWarriorz) February 9, 2025
Presenting @Deepti_Sharma06 as your new captain for the upcoming #TATAWPL π#UPWarriorz #ChangeTheGame pic.twitter.com/1xGjeavgOt