In an exciting turn of events, Meg Lanning has been named the captain of the newly-formed UP Warriorz for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL). The 33-year-old, who has led Australia to victory in two ODI World Cups and five T20 World Cups, will take the reins from Deepti Sharma. 

The UP franchise shared the news on social media, announcing that Deepti, who was brought back for an impressive 3.2 Crore in the recent WPL auction, will now play as a marquee player instead of leading the team. 

Under Lanning's leadership, the Delhi Capitals made it to all three WPL finals, facing off against the Mumbai Indians twice and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) once. Unfortunately, Delhi lost all three matches, and Lanning will be eager to change that record with her new team. 

As she embarks on this new chapter with the UP Warriorz, Lanning will team up with head coach Abhishek Nayar, who has also been appointed as the head coach of KKR for IPL 2026. 

Read also: From Shakib to Mustafizur: How KKR became the IPL’s longest home for Bangladeshi cricketers

Deepti has been a part of the UP Warriorz since the tournament's inception, amassing 507 runs and taking 27 wickets over three seasons. She had a stellar 2025, excelling with both bat and ball, which earned her the Player of the Tournament award during India’s historic World Cup victory. 

On the flip side, Lanning has impressive WPL stats as well. With an average just shy of 40, the Australian opener has racked up 952 runs in the tournament, including a top score of 92 against the Gujarat Giants. So far, she has notched up nine half-centuries. 

The fourth edition of the WPL is set to kick off on January 9, with RCB facing off against the Mumbai Indians to start the action. The UP Warriorz will launch their campaign on January 10 against the Gujarat Giants at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. This tournament will feature 22 matches, culminating in the final on February 5 at BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara.