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UP Warriorz are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to have a successful outing at the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League, and have named the talismanic Alyssa Healy as their captain.
The UP Warriorz, which are one of the five teams in the 2023 WPL, put together a dynamic and well-balanced squad at the WPL Player Auctions in Mumbai on 13 February, in which there are a total of 6 overseas players, including the Australian Healy. Healy, one of the most recognised faces in the sport, is a highly experienced and seasoned campaigner, having played 139 games for Australia in T20Is, scoring close to 2,500 runs, with one century and 14 fifties as well. She is also considered to be one of the best wicket-keeper batters in the sport, with 110 dismissals in T20Is. One of the senior-most members of the dominant Australian side, Healy has been a key cog in the wheel and is known to reserve her best performances for the biggest stages, such as the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup Final in Melbourne, where a record-breaking 86,000 people watched Australia win their fifth title. Healy, who held the record for the most runs scored in innings in Women's T20Is with a 61-ball unbeaten 148 against Sri Lanka, has won the Women's T20 World Cup five times with Australia. The 32-year-old has also won the Women's ODI World twice in her illustrious career. In 2018, Healy was named ICC T20 Player of the Year after her outstanding performances that drove her nation to a fourth ICC World T20 title. In 2020, Healy was Player of the Match in Australia's T20 World Cup Final victory over India at the MCG. "I am delighted to have the chance to captain the UP Warriorz in the inaugural edition of the historic WPL that will be played in Mumbai. The WPL is a tournament we have all been keenly waiting on, and the UP Warriorz have a fantastic squad, waiting to making a splash once things get going. We have a good mix of experience and youth along with ability and look forward to putting on a show for our fans. We are here to win and be ruthless in our brand of cricket," said captain Alyssa Healy. Speaking on the occasion, Capri Global Holdings Private Limited's Managing Director, Rajesh Sharma said, "Alyssa is a giant of the game and has an immense amount of experience at the highest level, and also has the winning habit which we want in our team. We hope that the UP Warriorz can make significant strides in this important journey under the leadership of Alyssa Healy, and go on to be a source of joy and inspiration for the women of UP. I wish the team all the best." The UP Warriorz side, which is coached by England's Jon Lewis, has Anju Jain as the assistant coach, while former Australian cricketers Ashley Noffke is the bowling coach and 4-time World Champion Lisa Sthalekar is the team's mentor. The Women's Premier League is set to be played in Mumbai from 4th - 26th March 2023. A total of 22 matches will be played with the Brabourne Stadium & DY Patil Stadium playing hosts to the marquee tournament. The UP Warriorz open their campaign on 5 March, with the second game of the day when they face the Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium.UP Warriorz Squad: Alyssa Healy (Captain), Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Tahlia McGrath, Shabnim Ismail, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Parshavi Chopra, Shweta Sehrawat, S Yashasri, Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Devika Vaidya, Lauren Bell, Laxmi Yadav and Simran Shaikh.(ANI)
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