Retaining deepti

ODI World Cup: UP Warriorz (UPW) head coach Abhishek Nayar underlined the importance of stability after the 2026 WPL auction, stating that retaining Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Kiran Navgire and Kranti Gaud via the Right to Match (RTM) card ensured that there’s continuity in their set-up’s core.

Apart from buying back the four aforementioned players, UPW pulled off one of the headline moves of the first-ever WPL mega auction by signing former Australia captain Meg Lanning for INR 1.90 crore, and snapped rising Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield and West Indies power-hitter Deandra Dottin.

“This auction has given us exactly the kind of squad we wanted to build. Retaining Deepti, Sophie, Kiran and Kranti ensures continuity in our core, and adding leaders like Meg, dynamic young talents such as Phoebe and Pratika, and experienced match-winners like Harleen, Shikha and Deandra gives us balance across departments.”