New Delhi: As the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 gears up for another thrilling season, a fresh chapter unfolds for the UP Warriorz. Off-spinning all-rounder Deepti Sharma has been given the captaincy role Australian star Alyssa Healy was ruled out due to a foot injury. With the tournament set to begin on Friday, Deepti is ready to embrace the challenge of leading the WPL side for the first time.
Deepti, who has previously led her state team, is no stranger to leadership. She acknowledged Healy’s absence as a significant loss but expressed her determination to guide the Warriorz towards a stronger and more consistent campaign. “I am excited about captaining in the WPL. I have led my state team before, so I will draw from that experience. This is a different challenge, but I love challenges, no matter the level,” Deepti said in the Star Sports Press Room programme.
UP Warriorz finished third in the inaugural WPL season but faltered last year, exiting at the league stage. Deepti’s leadership, backed by her stellar performances in 2024 — where she scored 295 runs and took 10 wickets, including a historic hat-trick — will be crucial in their bid for redemption.
“Alyssa has been an integral part of the team. She led the side brilliantly in the last two seasons, and we will miss her presence. But with this opportunity, I want the team to play a strong brand of cricket. We had a good run in the first season but lost momentum last year. This time, we aim to be more consistent and put in our best performances,” Deepti added.
Meanwhile, defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), led by Smriti Mandhana, are also dealing with a major absence. Their star all-rounder and New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has opted out of WPL 2025 to focus on her mental well-being.
“We had a great auction, and the domestic season was impressive in terms of overall quality. I am really excited about a few players — Prema Rawat is an amazing talent, Raghvi Bist has great potential, and Kanika Ahuja is making a comeback after an injury. I am looking forward to seeing them perform in WPL.
“Sophie Devine has been one of the best all-rounders in the world and played a key role for us. We will definitely miss her, but mental well-being is more important than anything, and we respect that. Despite injuries to key players, we will step up as a team,” Mandhana said.
RCB has added exciting domestic talents like Prema Rawat, Raghvi Bist, and Kanika Ahuja, with Mandhana eager to see them shine. The team will kick off their title defense against Gujarat Giants in the season opener on Friday in Vadodara.
The upcoming WPL season promises intense competition with matches spread across four venues: Vadodara, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mumbai. After six games in Vadodara, the action moves to Bengaluru, where RCB will play their first home game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on February 21.
Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium makes its debut as a WPL venue, hosting UP Warriorz’s home games against Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, and RCB on March 3, 6, and 8, respectively. The tournament then shifts to the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, where the league stage concludes with Mumbai Indians’ back-to-back home games on March 10 and 11.
Brabourne will also host the knockout stage, with the Eliminator on March 13, followed by the grand finale on March 15.
(IANS)
