UP Warriorz dropped a bombshell on November 6 with their retention announcement. They kept just one player from their entire squad for WPL 2026. This decision shocked fans who expected to see Deepti Sharma in the Retained Players list. The team clearly wants a fresh start after last season’s poor performance.
Most franchises retained four or five players but they went differently. They chose to rebuild almost everything from scratch this time. The mega auction on November 27 in Delhi will be crucial for them. This is where they’ll build their new squad for WPL 2026.
Shweta Sehrawat: The Only Player on the Retained Players List
Shweta Sehrawat is the lone name on the UPW retention announcement. She gets paid Rs 50 lakh for staying with the franchise. This uncapped batter has played three seasons with the team already. Her numbers show 261 runs from 20 innings at a 103.98 strike rate.
The team management sees potential in her batting for WPL 2026. She’s young and can improve with better players around her. Shweta will be the foundation on which they build the new squad around.
Why UPW Chose Minimal for WPL 2026
Last season was terrible for them in the tournament. They finished at the bottom with only three wins from eight matches. The team never made it to the playoffs in any WPL season. Management decided drastic changes were needed after reviewing the performance.
The rules allowed teams to keep a maximum of five players. UPW could have retained three capped Indians and two overseas stars. But they went with just one uncapped Indian player instead. They’re banking on the auction to fix their problems now.
What’s Next for UP Warriorz in WPL 2026
The franchise has Rs 14.5 crore left in its auction purse now. They also have four Right to Match options available for the auction. They can bring back old Retained Players if bidding goes their way. The team needs quality overseas stars like Alyssa Healy and experienced Indian cricketers badly. November 27 will decide whether their retaining gamble pays off or not.
