Australia batting maestro Meg Lanning expressed immense pleasure upon her appointment as captain of UP Warriorz for the Girls’s Premier League 2026 season, calling it a ‘actual honour’ to guide the revamped aspect. The franchise made the announcement on January 4, 2026, signaling a daring management shift forward of the event’s fourth version beginning later this month. Lanning steps into the position with a glittering resume, having guided Delhi Capitals to 3 straight WPL finals earlier than her INR 1.9 crore transfer to Warriorz on the mega public sale.
UP Warriorz names Meg Lanning their new captain for WPL 2026
Warriorz handed the captaincy to Lanning, succeeding Deepti Sharma, who steered the staff through the 2025 season amid Alyssa Healy‘s damage absence. Healy, the unique skipper for 2023 and 2024, missed all the 2025 marketing campaign on account of a foot stress damage and subsequent knee points, paving the best way for Deepti’s interim management that yielded simply three wins from eight matches, touchdown fifth. Each Healy, who went unsold and Deepti, re-signed for INR 3.2 crore by way of Proper to Match, had been launched pre-auction as Warriorz rebuilt underneath head coach Abhishek Nayar.
Nayar praised Lanning’s poise, stating she affords a uncommon mixture of expertise, readability, and quietness supreme for high-stakes video games, backed by her 952 runs in 27 WPL outings, third on the all-time checklist.
“Meg brings a uncommon mixture of expertise, readability, and quietness that units her aside as a frontrunner. Her understanding of the sport, skill to handle high-pressure moments, and join with gamers makes her the perfect captain for this group,” Nayar was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
A seven-time World Cup winner with Australia, together with one ODI title and 4 T20 crowns as captain, Lanning’s tactical acumen shone in main the Delhi aspect to constant finals. The franchise eyes redemption after playoff glory in 2023 (third place, eliminator loss to Mumbai Indians), fourth in 2024, and a dismal 2025 backside end.
Additionally READ: From emerging player to WPL 2026 winner: Deepti Sharma shares bold predictions for the Women’s Premier League
Lanning’s ideas on taking cost of UP Warriorz forward of WPL 2026
As per Cricbuzz, Lanning highlighted the squad’s mix of worldwide stars and Indian expertise, vowing collective effort to chase the elusive WPL title.
“This proficient group… I’m actually wanting ahead to the problem forward. We’ll work laborious collectively and provides ourselves each alternative to elevate the trophy,” Lanning shared, noting the league’s rising requirements in its fourth 12 months.
Key buys like England‘s Sophie Ecclestone (INR 85 lakh RTM) and Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield (INR 1.2 crore) bolster a core that includes retained Shweta Sehrawat, aiming for higher cohesion after previous inconsistencies.
Underneath Lanning’s regular hand, Warriorz stand poised to beat their historical past of near-misses and finish the title drought. Capri Sports activities’ franchise heralds this as a recent chapter, with Lanning’s confirmed coolness underneath fireplace from Australia’s dominant period setting the stage for WPL 2026 success. Cricket followers are eagerly awaiting her affect from the dugout at Lucknow’s Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Additionally READ: 3 reasons why Gujarat Giants will excel under the leadership of Ashleigh Gardner in WPL 2026
This text was first printed at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times firm.
