WPL 2026 Auction: Mentor Lisa Sthalekar Explains UP Warriorz's Tactical Move To Use RTM For Deepti Sharma

Women's Premier League: UP Warriorz (UPW) mentor Lisa Sthalekar expressed satisfaction after the franchise successfully brought back star all-rounder Deepti Sharma through the Right to Match (RTM) card at the Women's Premier League (WPL) Auction. Sthalekar explained that the decision to release Deepti initially was purely tactical.

"So, we needed to have a bigger purse and obviously, if you retain a player, a capped player like Deepti Sharma, you're losing 3.5 crore anyway from your purse. So, it was about being able to have some flexibility to navigate and pick up the players that we wanted to in probably the first one and two sets because there were a lot of good players that we needed in that set. So, that's the reason why, but thankfully she's come back," she told reporters.

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Deepti, who was the player of the tournament earlier this month at the Women's ODI World Cup, saw Delhi Capitals (DC) make the opening bid of Rs 50 lakh. However, Warriorz used the RTM and raised her price to Rs 3.2 crore. Capitals rejected the offer, and Deepti headed to UPW.

She was equally pleased with the acquisition of Australian batting sensation Phoebe Litchfield, who joined UP Warriorz for Rs 1.20 crore after an impressive ODI World Cup campaign, where she amassed 304 runs in seven innings, including a century in the semi-final against India.

"I think Phoebe Litchfield has got the ability to play 360 degree. She loves Indian conditions. She loves Indian bowlers. We know that with her record. She's going to be a powerhouse and we're hoping to kind of develop her over these next couple of years with the UP Warriorz," Sthalekar said.

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UP Warriorz fielding coach Sourav Banderkar echoed similar enthusiasm while speaking about the team's new head coach Abhishek Nayar and fresh recruits.

"He has had the most input, he's the head coach and one good thing about him was that he was very clear. So, our plan was to be clear, go with the plan and be disciplined. So, I think that worked today," Banderkar said.

The fielding coach also highlighted the balance the franchise has built with the addition of experienced international stars and in-form domestic players.

"I'm very excited. Everyone knows the quality of Sophie Eccleston and Deepti and they've done a great job for us in the past as well and as far as Phoebe Litchfield is concerned, she's a very good prospect. She's an exciting talent. She can make runs anywhere on the ground and she's very good at fielding as well. So, we're very excited about that as well," he added.

Sophie, kept her price at Rs 50 lakh. The England star saw an opening bid by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Delhi joined the fray. Both franchises entered a heated battle, but Warriorz once again used their RTM to secure Sophie's services. Ecclestone was sold for Rs 85 lakh. Interestingly, both Deepti and Sophie played for UPW last season but were released ahead of the WPL 2026 auction.

UPW signed Australian legend Meg Lanning for Rs 1.9 crore. She was previously with Delhi Capitals (DC) in the WPL.
Banderkar stressed the importance of backing Indian players, a key part of UPW's auction strategy.

"It was very important for us to show good trust in the Indian batters. And Kiran Navgire has had a very good domestic season. Harleen Deol has had a very good year. She's made a lot of runs. In India, it's probably Smriti (Mandhana), Jemimah (Rodrigues) and Harman (Harmanpreet Kaur) who have made a lot of runs and we've seen Kranti (Gaud). She did very well for us last year. She brings two skills for us. She's good at bowling with the new ball and she's very good at fielding as well. So, we're very happy," he said.