UP Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma urges home fans to cheer them on; coach Jon Lewis says adaptability is key

And for the home team, the UP Warriorz, who are captained by UP's very own Deepti Sharma and coached by Jon Lewis, the agenda is to adapt to their surroundings such that, the road to the playoffs of WPL Season 3 has as few bumps as possible. This is the first time the UP Warriorz will be playing at home in the WPL, and is also being led by one of the most iconic cricketing figures from the state, as per a release by UP Warriorz.

UP Warriorz will play at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, and will first face Gujarat Giants on March 3. After that, the UP Warriorz, who are coached by Jon Lewis, take on the Mumbai Indians and the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 6 and 8, respectively.

Looking ahead to the home games, captain Deepti Sharma, who is also one of the best all-rounders in the game, said, "For two seasons, the UP Warriorz have waited to play on their home ground, and now that we are here, it feels nice that we will be in front of our own fans and families. And we will work together as a unit to ensure we put on a fantastic show for our home fans in Lucknow. The pitch traditionally helps the spinners, and we are hopeful it will help us too. When you play at home, there is a different kind of motivation that you get thanks to the fans, and I am hoping the whole of the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium will be chanting for us and that will surely give us a lot of motivation," as quoted from a release by UP Warriorz.

Speaking on how the team is approaching the next three games, coach Jon Lewis said, "The most important thing about this part of the tournament will be adaptability. Over the next few days, we will get more accustomed to the conditions, and prepare in a way that we can combat all situations. What gives the team and me confidence is that we have a really well-balanced side with lots of good options in the squad."

While the likes of Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone and Grace Harris, along with Chinelle Henry have made a solid impact for the UP Warriorz, the young Indian contingent with the likes of Shweta Sehrawat and Vrinda Dinesh too have left their mark.

Speaking about her experience, Vrinda Dinesh said, "It is a big opportunity for me to be turning out for the UP Warriorz, and I have really enjoyed from the first day. There has been plenty of learning for me in the last couple of years, both on and off the field, and I am looking forward to playing at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, where I have never played before."

Meanwhile, even as the Deepti Sharma led team continue to fight hard on the field, Capri Sports, over the last couple of years, has been consistently working towards laying the foundations for a robust women's cricket ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh.

UP Warriorz WPL 2025 squad: Deepti Sharma (C), Uma Chetry (WK), Chinelle Henry, Poonam Khamnar, Kiran Navgire, Dinesh Vrinda, Georgia Voll, Grace Harris, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Shweta Sehrawat, Anjali Sarvani, Sophie Ecclestone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor, Arushi Goel, Kranti Goud, Gouher Sultana. (ANI)