Meg Lanning named UP Warriorz captain for WPL 2026

NAVI MUMBAI: Abhishek Nayar will juggle head-coach duties in both the Women’s Premier League and the IPL this season, but says handing the UP Warriorz captaincy to Meg Lanning makes the job easier. Nayar, who will also work with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, called Lanning “the best mind in women’s cricket” while announcing her as UPW’s captain for WPL-2026.

“When we were building this squad, getting the best captain was a priority. It was an obvious choice,” he said on Monday. “This format is a captain’s format. Meg will take all the pressure. I’ll be chilling with coffee,” he said in a lighter vein.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Lanning takes over from Deepti Sharma, who led the side last season. The former Australia skipper brings a decorated CV: two Women’s ODI World Cup titles (including as captain in 2022) and five Women’s T20 World Cups, four of them as captain (2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023).

Released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the mega auction, Lanning was snapped up by UPW for Rs 1.9 cr. She leaves DC as one of the league’s most consistent batters with 952 runs in 27 WPL matches and nine fifties.

“I’m really excited to join UP Warriorz and work with Abhishek,” Lanning said. “We’ve put together a well-balanced squad with experience, depth and exciting young players. Now it’s about going out there, expressing ourselves and enjoying our cricket.”

Lanning said she is keen to work with UPW’s young Indian talent, including pacer Kranti Goud and bighitter Kiran Navgire. “Kiran is extremely hard to stop when she gets going,” Lanning said. Navgire recently smashed a 34-ball century for Maharashtra, the fastest women’s T20 hundred on record.On the league’s impact, Lanning said WPL has accelerated India’s talent depth and helped players get used to scrutiny. “Every game is watched closely, with intense media attention. The more players experience that, the better they handle it,” she said.