Australian star wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy has been named as the captain of the UP Warriorz for the inaugural 2023 Women’s Premier League (WPL). Healy was bought by Capri Global Holdings Private Limited-owned UP Warriorz for Rs 70 lakhs in the players’ auction.
UP Warriorz had bought players very strategically in the bidding event and set up a strong squad. The decision to appoint Healy as the skipper of the side also seems to be a well-planned move by the franchise, as she is a match-winner with vast experience under her belt.
Notably, Healy so far has played 139 T20Is for Australia and scored over 2500 runs in the shortest format, with one century and 14 fifties. She is also regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batter in the sport.
Speaking about her new role, Healy expressed her excitement for the marquee WPL and praised the team for putting together a well-balanced squad.
“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,” Healy was reported saying by NDTV.
The WPL 2023 will commence from March 4, and a total of 22 matches will be played in the tournament at two venues, namely the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. In the meantime, The UP Warriorz will start their campaign against Gujarat Giants on March 5.
The UP based-team will be coached by England’s Jon Lewis, supported by Anju Jain as assistant coach and former Australia cricketer Ashley Noffke as bowling coach. Four-time world champion Lisa Sthalekar will be the team’s mentor.
On that note, let’s also have a look at the team’s squad:
UP Warriorz squad:
Alyssa Healy (c), 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
