The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 auction concluded on February 13th, with UP Warriorz emerging as one of the top performers. The franchise did an excellent job of forming a well-balanced squad, consisting of a mix of experienced and young players. They splurged their funds to acquire top-notch players like Tahila McGrath, Deepti Sharma, and Sophie Ecclestone, which should prove to be a smart move.
UP’s management also played their cards well by waiting for the right opportunity and securing players like Lauren Bell, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Kiran Nagvire at an affordable price. As they gear up to compete in the inaugural season, it will be intriguing to see which players make it to the starting XI.
Here are the top 5 players to keep an eye on in the UP Warriorz team.
Number 1. Alyssa Healy
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Alyssa Healy is a bat-wielding marauder. With her flashy stroke play, she has crushed bowling attacks and made the international stage her happy hunting field. The ace hitter has brought down even the greatest bowlers on her day and established her dominance on the cricket pitch.
Healy has appeared in 94 50-over matches for Australia, scoring 2639 runs at a strike rate of 100.18. In T20Is, she has amassed 2355 runs in 137 matches with a strike rate of 128.26. Apart from her batting prowess, the 32-year-old is an excellent wicketkeeper.
A player of Healy’s level is an asset to any team, which is why UP Warriorz signed her for INR 70 lakh. The Queensland native hopes to bring her talent to the WPL 2023 and light up the competition with her batting exploits.
Number 2. Shweta Sehrawat
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Shweta Sehrawat’s brilliant display of cricket in the Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup 2023 has garnered immense attention. The 18-year-old played a fearless brand of cricket and consistently provided the likes of Shafali Verma & Co. with explosive starts.
In the tournament, Sehrawat played seven matches and scored a whopping 297 runs at a strike rate of 139.43. Her stellar batting performances were critical to India’s Under-19 team winning the world championship. Recognizing her potential and promising future, UP Warriorz signed her for a substantial amount of INR 40 lakh.
Number 3. Deepti Sharma
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Deepti Sharma, an exceptional all-rounder from India, has been a valuable asset to the team. In 80 ODIs, the 25-year-old scored 1891 runs at an average of 36.36 and took 91 wickets with an economy of 4.18. Additionally, she accumulated 914 runs in 88 T20Is with a strike rate of 106.52 and bagged 97 wickets at an economy of 6.12.
Apart from her all-round capabilities, Deepti is a shrewd game-reader and displayed her leadership skills by leading Velocity to the final of the Women’s T20 Challenge 2022. As a result, UP Warriorz invested INR 2.6 crore to secure her services and bolster their squad for the WPL 2023.
Number 4. Devika Vaidya
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Devika Vaidya is regarded as one of India’s most reliable spin-bowling all-rounders. She has played 11 T20Is and scored 89 runs with a strike rate of 22.25. In her six appearances for the Ladies in Blue, the 25-year-old has claimed six wickets. Devika is a tremendous asset to any team because of her ability to contribute to both areas. As a result, UP Warriorz signed the Indian all-rounder for INR 1.4 crore in the WPL 2023 auction.
Number 5. Sophie Ecclestone
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Sophie Ecclestone is now regarded as one of the best spinners in the world. She’s perplexed batters with her variations and blasted through top-tier hitting lineups for fun. Furthermore, the 23-year-old is no slouch with the bat and has delivered key knocks while sliding in at the bottom of the order.
Ecclestone has 92 wickets at 5.85 economy rate in 67 T20Is and 165 runs at 117.85 strike rate. She has won matches for England and UP. At the auction, Warriorz went hammer and tongs to sign her. They eventually paid INR 1.8 crore for her services.
