Former Australian skipper Meg Lanning has been named the new captain of the UP Warriorz franchise for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026) season. Lanning will take over the captaincy reins from India all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who led the side last year. The news of the same was confirmed by UP Warriorz on their official social media handles.
UP Warriorz are yet to win their maiden title in the WPL and will be hoping Lanning’s expertise as a leader in a new jersey will help them break their jinx. She previously led Delhi Capitals (DC) to three consecutive finals but failed to get over the line. At the international level, however, she has tasted tremendous success, winning five T20 World Cup titles and two ODI World Cup trophies.
Lanning said after the announcement, “It is a real honour to be named captain of the UP Warriorz. As the WPL enters its fourth season, it’s been incredible to see how the league has evolved, the quality of cricket, the competitiveness, and the emergence of exciting new talent continue to raise the standard each year. This is a talented group with a strong mix of international experience and Indian players, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead. We’ll work hard together and give ourselves every opportunity to lift the trophy.”
One of the most expensive buys at the WPL 2026 auction, Lanning’s new role signals a clear shift in direction for the UP Warriorz as they look to enter a new phase after the first-ever mega auction.
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Speaking about her numbers in the league, Lanning is one of the top performers and ranks third in the all-time list of highest scorers. She has amassed 952 runs in 27 games at an average touching 40s, with nine fifties to her name.
After plying her trade with DC for the past three seasons, Lanning will now help the Warriorz capitalise the powerplay and anchor crucial chases, doing an encore of her match-winning abilities.
Given her stellar batting credentials along with sheer captaincy brilliance, Lanning will thus be shouldering major responsibilities for the franchise in the WPL 2026 season.
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