Credit: Google
In a latest development from the world of cricket, UP Warriorz have appointed former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season. After former England cricketer Jon Lewis, who coached UP Warriorz in WPL for the first three seasons from 2023-25, parted ways with the franchise a few weeks ago, the team management confirmed their new head coach on Friday, July 25.
Notably, during Jon Lewis’ coaching tenure, UP Warriorz finished in third place in the WPL 2023 before exiting it in the Eliminator, and then next two seasons, they finished in fourth and fifth place respectively in the five-team competition. His replacement, Abhishek Nayar has tremendous coaching pedigree, being a part of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 winners Kolkata Knight Riders in the assistant coach role alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir after joining them in 2018.
He also went onto be a part of the Indian cricket team as the assistant coach with Gautam Gambhir at the helm, playing a role in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 win this March. Abhishek Nayar has also been a personal coach to many of the current and former Indian players, including the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma, helping most of them improve their game.
I really enjoyed my time working with the UP Warriorz before and I'm thrilled to take on this new role: Abhishek Nayar
In their official statement on Abhishek Nayar’s appointment as the head coach, UP Warriorz said, “A respected figure in the Indian cricket circles, Nayar brings with him a deep understanding of the game, a proven track record in player development, and years of experience across various coaching roles at both domestic and international levels.” Furthermore, Abhishek Nayar has already been a part of UP Warriorz’s off-season training camps following the conclusion of WPL 2023.
Abhishek Nayar sounded excited about his new role with UP Warriorz, and remarked, “I really enjoyed my time working with the UP Warriorz before and I'm thrilled to take on this new role. WPL is a fantastic platform for women's cricket and I'm looking forward to working closely with the management to build a strong team for Season 4. UP Warriorz already have a strong foundation in place, and I believe we can build something truly special. There is incredible potential and I will give it my all to help win their first-ever title this season.”
