Deepti Sharma, India's off-spin all-rounder, has been appointed as the new captain of UP Warriorz for the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 season.
The 27-year-old takes over from Australian skipper Alyssa Healy, who will miss the tournament due to a foot injury. Under Healy's leadership, UP Warriorz secured third place in WPL 2023 but failed to progress beyond the league stage in 2024.
UP Warriorz acquired Deepti for Rs 2.6 crore in the first auction. She contributed significantly in the 2023 season, claiming nine wickets and scoring 90 runs.
Her performance improved in WPL 2024, where she scored 295 runs to become the fifth-highest run-scorer. She also took 10 wickets, including a historic hat-trick against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
This achievement made her the first Indian bowler to secure a hat-trick in WPL history. Her recent recognition includes selection in ICC's 2024 Women's T20I Team of the Year, alongside fellow Indians Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh.
Deepti brings leadership experience to her new role, having served as India's vice-captain and led teams at the domestic level. She previously captained Velocity to a second-place finish in the 2022 Women's T20 Challenge.
The WPL 2025 captaincy represents her most significant leadership role to date. She will receive support from experienced international captains Tahlia McGrath and Chamari Athapaththu, who have led Australia and Sri Lanka respectively.
Deepti joins a select group of Indian WPL captains, becoming the fourth after Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Sneh Rana.
UP Warriorz will begin their WPL 2025 campaign against Gujarat Giants at Vadodara's BCA Stadium on February 16.
UP Warriorz WPL 2025 squad: Deepti Sharma (c), Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Vrinda Dinesh, Saima Thakor, Chamari Athapaththu, Alana King, Chinelle Henry, Uma Chetry, Anjali Sarvani, Poonam Khemnar, Gouher Sultana, Arushi Goel and Kranti Goud.
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