UP Warriorz Potent for WPL 2026: Coach Abhishek Nayar
UP Warriorz head coach Abhishek Nayar is optimistic about his team’s potential to make a strong impact in the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL). He emphasized that if the squad can gel quickly and perform as a cohesive unit, great things await.
During the mega auction last year, UPW assembled a blend of experienced and young players in a bid to secure their maiden title under the captaincy of Meg Lanning. “My message is very simple. This sport is about the players, not the coach. The type of cricket you are playing, just play that type of cricket. It is important that you play as a team. If this team can play together, it will be very good. The vision is clear. We will try to play good cricket. Whenever you enter a tournament, the mindset is always to win it. We will keep an eye on every player’s form and try to perform well,” Nayar stated during a pre-season press conference.
The WPL has successfully unearthed talents who have made it to the Indian national team, and Nayar assured that this trend will continue in the upcoming season, scheduled from January 9 to February 5. “The format and the specialty of this tournament is that they are continuously giving good players to India and the Indian team. This time also, we will try to get a new star from this tournament.”
Nayar outlined that the team’s auction strategy was centered on acquiring experienced performers alongside quality Indian talent. “There were 2-3 criteria. First, the player should be experienced. Second, we will take as many good Indian players as possible who were available in the auction. We wanted good Indian players and experienced players,” he explained.
Nayar concluded by emphasizing the players’ responsibility to meet their own expectations. “Expectations are not ours, they are always of the players from themselves. We will try to see if the players meet their own expectations as they are very important in this game, considering the pressure around. My thought is that as long as our players can play good cricket and are happy with their cricket, that is my expectation from them.”