3 pressing concerns for UPW Women ahead of WPL 2024

The UP Warriorz (UPW) are all set to kickstart their campaign in the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) with a high-octane clash against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, February 24.

The Warriorz had a middling campaign in WPL 2023 as they scraped through to the playoffs before losing to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator. They didn't have much money to spend at the auction and come into the new campaign with a largely similar squad.

UPW's squad for WPL 2024: Alyssa Healy (c), Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Danni Wyatt, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor, Gouher Sultana, Chamari Athapaththu.

Here are three pressing concerns for UPW ahead of WPL 2024.

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#3 UPW are heavily reliant on their overseas players

Sophie Ecclestone looks on: Trent Rockets Women v Manchester Originals Women - The Hundred

As was the case last year, UPW are expected to be heavily reliant on their frontline overseas players. Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris and Sophie Ecclestone will handle the bulk of responsibility for the Warriorz in various departments.

While Healy is responsible for shepherding a rather inexperienced top order, McGrath and Harris' power game in the middle order will be absolutely essential. They needed to rescue the team from precarious positions many times last year, and things might not be too different in WPL 2024.

Ecclestone, meanwhile, will need to be used at all phases of the innings. The English left-arm spinner might also be required with the bat since the likes of Deepti Sharma haven't covered themselves in glory recently.

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#2 UPW's domestic batters are inexperienced

KP Navgire in action: Women's Premier League - Mumbai Indians v UP Warriorz

Vrinda Dinesh, Shweta Sehrawat and KP Navgire are primed to be UPW's premier domestic batters in the top six. While all three are capable players and come into WPL 2024 in great form, experience is not something they have to fall back on.

Navgire will likely be playing as a finisher after failing to cut it in the top order last year, while Sehrawat and Dinesh are both ideally used at the opening positions, where Healy occupies a spot. Dinesh, in particular, has the ability to take the game away from the opposition, but with only six international matches between the trio, they might take some time to get used to the level of the competition.

Had Deepti been in better form and showed more intent, she could've been used higher up to take some pressure off the youngsters. But that isn't the case, and the batting lineup is crying out for one or two established Indian stars.

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#1 The Warriorz' pace-bowling stocks are thin

Anjali Sarvani runs: Women's Premier League - Mumbai Indians v UP Warriors

Bizarrely, when Lauren Bell pulled out of the tournament due to her international commitments, UPW opted to replace her with Chamari Athapaththu instead of beefing up their even weaker pace stocks.

As things stand, Anjali Sarvani, Saima Thakor and S Yashasri are their only three domestic pacers, while McGrath is the only overseas name who can contribute in that department. Even the Aussie has become an occasional bowler in international cricket, and the other three have a combined six matches between them.

UPW head coach Jon Lewis has emphasized spin's importance in the women's game, but the franchise has pushed that theory too far with barely any reinforcement in their pace battery.

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