WPL 2026 auction: Three-time WPL finalist captain Meg Lanning joins UP Warriorz after DC lose bidding war
Former Australian skipper Meg Lanning will be turning up for the UP Warriorz in the 2026 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) after being bought by the Abhishek Nayar franchise for INR 1.9 crore at the mega auction. Lanning, who led the Delhi Capitals to three consecutive finals in the first three seasons of the competition, was released ahead of the mega auction. The Capitals went as far as INR 1.8 crore to get Lanning back but UP Warriorz, who came into the auction with the biggest purse of INR 14.5 crore, ended up acquiring her services.
Lanning has been in sensational form in the ongoing Women's Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars, being the leading run-getter, scoring 327 runs in six innings, averaging 65, including a highest of 135 off 79 balls. It will be interesting to see in which direction the Warriorz look in terms of leadership, with Lanning and Deepti Sharma being the top contenders.
Lanning is the third-highest run-getter in the tournament, amassing 952 runs in 27 innings, averaging 39.66, while striking at 127.10 and was the leader par excellence for the Capitals. Even though Lanning has retired from international cricket for two years now, she mentioned that she has been reinventing her power game and intent and continuously working on it and hence, it will be interesting to see how she does it in the yellow and purple of the Warriorz.
Lanning will be reunited at UPW with her former Delhi Capitals teammates, Shikha Pandey and Tara Norris and her Australian teammate Phoebe Litchfield. Under Abhishek Nayar, the Warriorz were able to pick a solid team, and will now have to replicate it on the field.
UP Warriorz squad
Retained: Shweta Sehrawat (INR 50 Lakh)
Auction picks: Deepti Sharma (INR 3.2 crore), Sophie Ecclestone (INR 85 Lakh), Meg Lanning (INR 1.9 crore), Phoebe Litchfield (INR 1.2 crore), Kiran Navgire (INR 60 Lakh), Harleen Deol (INR 50 Lakh), Kranti Gaud (INR 50 Lakh), Asha Sobhana (INR 1.1 crore), Shikha Pandey (INR 2.4 crore), Deandra Dottin (INR 80 Lakh), Shipra Giri (INR 10 Lakh), Simran Shaikh (INR 10 Lakh), Pratika Rawal (INR 50 Lakh), Tara Norris (INR 10 Lakh), Chloe Tryon (INR 50 Lakh), Suman Meena (INR 10), G Trisha (INR 10)
