UP Warriorz WPL 2026 Squad: Full Team & Deepti Sharma’s Rise

UP Warriorz WPL 2026 Squad: Full Team & Deepti Sharma’s Rise

Coming off a sensational 2025 ODI World Cup where she was crowned Player of the Tournament, Deepti Sharma is now the undisputed cornerstone of the UP Warriorz WPL 2026 campaign. With 215 runs and a staggering 22 wickets in the World Cup, her all-round dominance wasn’t just pivotal for India’s title win—it made her the hottest property in the WPL auction. UP Warriorz wisely used their Right to Match (RTM) card to secure her for a record-breaking ₹3.2 crore, signaling their serious intent to go all the way in the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League .

Table of Contents

• Deepti Sharma’s World Cup Heroics
• UP Warriorz WPL 2026: Retained Players
• Key New Signings and Auction Moves
• UP Warriorz WPL 2026: Full Squad List
• Tactical Breakdown: Squad Strengths and Weaknesses
• Fantasy Cricket Picks from UP Warriorz
• Title Ambitions and Road Ahead
• Conclusion
• Sources

Deepti Sharma’s World Cup Heroics

Deepti Sharma’s performance in the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup wasn’t just good—it was historic. She became only the second player ever to score 200+ runs and take 20+ wickets in a single World Cup tournament . Her ability to bowl tightly in the middle overs and then anchor the innings with the bat made her India’s MVP. This form, confidence, and match-winning consistency make her the ideal leader for UP Warriorz as they aim to shed their “bridesmaid” tag (runners-up in 2023) and finally lift the trophy in 2026.

UP Warriorz WPL 2026: Retained Players

UP Warriorz built their core around experience and versatility. Before the auction, they retained:

• Deepti Sharma – All-rounder & de facto leader (₹3.2 Cr via RTM)
• Grace Harris – Explosive Aussie all-rounder (₹1.8 Cr)
• Sophie Ecclestone – World’s No. 1 left-arm spinner (₹1.5 Cr)
• Thirush Kamini – Veteran Indian opener
• Shweta Sehrawat – Young domestic batter with high potential

This mix of youth, power-hitting, and elite spin gives them one of the most balanced cores in the league.

Key New Signings and Auction Moves

With ₹6.2 crore remaining after retentions, UP Warriorz made strategic buys:

• Issy Wong (England) – Pace sensation acquired for ₹1.4 crore to bolster death bowling.
• Puja Vastrakar (India) – Experienced seamer picked up for ₹1.1 crore.
• Kashvee Gautam (India) – Left-arm quick for variety and swing.
• Sneh Rana (India) – Off-spinning all-rounder for middle-order stability.

Notably, they avoided overspending on marquee overseas batters, trusting their existing firepower and focusing on bowling depth—a smart move given WPL pitch conditions.

UP Warriorz WPL 2026: Full Squad List

Here’s the complete 18-member UP Warriorz squad for WPL 2026:

• Deepti Sharma (C)
• Grace Harris
• Sophie Ecclestone
• Thirush Kamini
• Shweta Sehrawat
• Issy Wong
• Puja Vastrakar
• Kashvee Gautam
• Sneh Rana
• Chloe Tryon
• Meghna Singh
• Ayushi Soni
• Parshavi Chopra
• Tarannum Pathan
• Minnu Mani
• Jemimah Rodrigues*
• Rashi Kanojiya
• Shabnam Md

*Note: While some reports initially listed Jemimah as unsold, later updates confirmed UP Warriorz secured her as a late pick. Please verify with official WPL site.

Tactical Breakdown: Squad Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Spin Dominance: Ecclestone, Deepti, and Rana form a world-class spin trio.
• All-round Depth: 6+ genuine all-rounders allow flexible batting orders.
• Death Bowling: Wong, Vastrakar, and Kashvee provide genuine pace options.

Potential Weakness: Top-order consistency beyond Harris and Kamini could be a concern if early wickets fall.

Fantasy Cricket Picks from UP Warriorz

For [INTERNAL_LINK:Fantasy Cricket] managers, these UP Warriorz players offer high ROI:

1. Deepti Sharma – Captaincy material; guaranteed 4 overs + top 5 batting.
2. Sophie Ecclestone – Wicket-taking machine on slow tracks.
3. Grace Harris – High-risk, high-reward explosive hitter.
4. Issy Wong – Differential pick with death-over wicket potential.

Title Ambitions and Road Ahead

With WPL 2026 running from January 9 to February 5 across Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, UP Warriorz have a compact window to peak at the right time. Their squad is built for the conditions—especially the turning tracks in Vadodara, where the final will be held . If Deepti carries her World Cup form into the league, and Harris fires at the top, they have every chance to win their maiden title.

Conclusion

The UP Warriorz WPL 2026 squad is a well-oiled machine centered around Deepti Sharma’s all-round genius. With elite spin, versatile all-rounders, and smart pace additions, they’ve addressed past shortcomings and emerged as genuine title contenders. As the season tips off in January, the blue-and-gold brigade won’t just be playing—they’ll be hunting.

Sources

• Times of India: WPL 2026: UP Warriorz Women Full Players List, Team Squad
• ICC Official: 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup Stats
• [INTERNAL_LINK:WPL 2026 schedule and venues]