From Delhi Capitals to UP Warriorz: Meg Lanning Gets Another Shot at WPL Glory

Meg Lanning joins UP Warriorz as captain ahead of WPL 2026, aiming to lead the team to their first title after three runner-up finishes with Delhi Capitals.

From Delhi Capitals to UP Warriorz Meg Lanning Gets Another Shot at WPL Glory (Image Source: Google)

In November 2025 when WPL retentions were being finalized, one of the surprising news was that Australia's Meg Lanning is set to enter the auction pool as she was released by Delhi Capitals. She is not an ordinary player as she led Delhi Capitals to three straight finals in the first three editions of WPL. Probably not winning any one of them, went against her. In the mega auction, Delhi Capitals did attempt to bring her back but failed to acquire her and she was signed by the UP Warriorz for Rs 1.9 crore.

Lanning, as a player, won two ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups and five ICC Women’s T20 World Cup titles. As captain, skippered Australia to T20 titles in 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023 and one ODI World Cup title in 2022 but WPL title eluded her. Now the legendary former Australia captain has another chance to set the record straight and lead her new team to their first title as UP Warriorz have named her the captain. Incidentally Delhi Capitals are yet to win a single IPL title also.

Meg Lanning otherwise is one of the most consistent performers in WPL: 952 runs in 27 matches at an average of 39.67 and strike rate of 127.10 and on many occasions gave Delhi Capitals a decent start to the innings through a successful opening partnership with Shafali Verma. ‘It is a real honour to be named captain of the UP Warriorz’ she said. ‘I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead.’ She knows that she has been chosen ahead of India allrounder Deepti Sharma, who stood in as captain last season for Warriorz in place of the injured Alyssa Healy. This adds to her responsibility.

Warriorz are yet to win a WPL title. They were led by Healy in 2023 and 2024 and when she was ruled out of the 2025 season with injury, Deepti took over. This time, Warriorz released both Healy and Deepti but signed Deepti back while Healy remained unsold. Warriorz's registered their best finish in the inaugural 2023 season, as they finished third (lost to Mumbai Indians in the play-off). In the last season, they finished fifth. Will Meg Lanning better this record and remove the stigma of ‘unlucky’ being associated with her, as far as winning the WPL title is concerned.

*As captain she won: ODI WC, 4 T20 WCs, Gold in CWG, WBBL title.

*As a player she won: 2 ODI World Cups, 5 T20 World Cups.

*She became Australia’s youngest skipper in 2014, at the age of 21.

*She is a three-time Belinda Clark Medal winner.

*On her second ODI in 2011 against England, scored 103* at 18 years and 288 days of age and became the youngest Australian - male or female - to score an international hundred.

*Scored 8352 runs from 241 international matches after debuting in T20s in 2010.

sLed Delhi Capitals to 3 finals in 3 seasons as Captain but without success:

* Delhi Capitals were the table toppers in all three seasons and directly qualified to each of these 3 finals but were defeated in all of them.

*2 of the WPL seasons ended with Mumbai Indians (in 2023 and 2025) beating them in the final, despite playing the eliminator in both. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated them in 2024.

* Delhi Capitals are only the 2nd franchise after Sydney Sixers to finish runner-up thrice in a top women's franchise league.

*UP Warriorz gets its 3rd different captain in four seasons. The other team to have 3 different captains in the WPL is Gujarat Giants.

*Meg Lanning joins Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur as the only women to captain in every WPL season.

In April 2024, Meg Lanning had announced her shock retirement as she struggled with ‘an unhealthy relationship’ with exercise and food, at the age of 31. She continued playing in the Women’s Big Bash League, the National Cricket League and the WPL but decided against representing Australia again. Recognized as having a great cricket brain, she is aptly nicknamed ‘The Megastar’.