UP Warriorz shockingly decided to release their stand-in captain Deepti Sharma ahead of the WPL 2026 auction. Despite being named the Player of the Tournament in the recently-concluded Women’s World Cup 2025, the India cricket team all-rounder wasn’t a part of UPW’s retained players. In fact, they retained just one uncapped Indian. UP Warriorz’s new head coach Abhishek Nayar has now explained the rationale behind the franchise’s decision to release Deepti.
Nayar reveals why UPW released Deepti Sharma?
Speaking on JioHotstar, Nayar revealed the idea of the team was to start afresh, have more money in the auction purse and build a team that could sustain in the future. He said that releasing Deepti and retaining just one player was a part of the team’s strategy to ensure they had enough resources to buy players who could help UP Warriorz win the WPL. The UPW head coach also hinted that the team could look to buy back some players in the WPL 2026 auction.
“The idea from the franchise was to start afresh, have more money available in the purse, and build a team that can go all the way. We wanted to make sure we have enough resources to get the players we believe can win the championship — and hopefully reacquire some of them at the auction,” Nayar said.
The highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded Women’s World Cup 2025 finished with 122 runs and 8 wickets under her belt in WPL 2024/25. Despite her recent prowess, Deepti has been released and will now go under the hammer on November 27.
UP Warriorz retention list for WPL 2026
- Retention 1 – Shweta Sehrawat (Uncapped) – Rs 50 lakh
- RTM – 4
- Purse left: Rs 14.50 crore
UP Warriorz released players list before WPL 2026 auction
Deepti Sharma (c), Alana King, Gouher Sultana, Saima Thakor, Chinelle Henry, Grace Harris, Anjali Sarvani, Kiran Navgire, Sophie Ecclestone, Arushi Goel, Kranti Goud, Tahlia Mcgrath, Chamari Athapaththu, Poonam Khemnar, Uma Chetry, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Vrinda Dinesh
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