WPL | UP Warriorz name Alyssa Healy captain for inaugural season

UP Warriorz have named star Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy as their captain for the inaugural Women’s Premier League, scheduled to be held next month in Mumbai.

The UP Warriorz, owned by Capri Global Holdings Private Limited, have put together a dynamic and well-balanced squad for the franchise based league.

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Healy, one of the most recognised faces in women’s cricket, is a highly experienced and seasoned campaigner, having played 139 T20Is for Australia, scoring close to 2,500 runs, with one century and 14 fifties.

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 vital 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.

“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,” said Healy.

“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.”

The UP Warriorz side, which is coached by England’s Jon Lewis, has Anju Jain as assistant coach, while former Australian cricketers Ashley Noffke is the bowling coach and four-time world champion Lisa Sthalekar is the team’s mentor.

The WPL is set to be played in Mumbai from March 4 to 26. A total of 22 matches will be played at the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium.

The UP Warriorz will open their campaign against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium on March 5.

UP Warriorz squad

lyssa 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.