New Delhi, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former India cricketer Reema Malhotra believes UP Warriorz need an aggressive Indian opener who can attack from the first ball as they look to rebuild their squad for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 season.
Reema said that the franchise must address its batting combination at the top of the order, adding that having players with similar approaches could affect the team’s ability to get off to quick starts.
UP Warriorz, who have finished at the bottom of the standings in consecutive seasons, will enter the auction in Kochi on October 28 with the biggest purse of Rs 3.65 crore and up to seven slots to fill, including two overseas positions.
“UP Warriorz have retained Pratika Rawal, which means she’s in their scheme of things, but I wouldn’t want Pratika to open the innings because she has a similar playing style to Meg Lanning. Both take their time to get going, which would hurt the Warriorz because two players of a similar style should not open together,” Reema said.
She said the presence of Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol and Deepti Sharma in the batting order made it important for the franchise to find an opener with a different approach.
“Then comes Phoebe Litchfield at number three, but if you make her open and let Pratika bat at three, that would not work either because after her come Harleen Deol and Deepti Sharma, and both are similar style of players as Pratika, so that option is closed too,” she added.
“So, UP Warriorz need an Indian opener who bats aggressively and has that attacking intent from the first ball. Apart from that, between Harleen and Deepti, you need one more big hitter," Reema said.
The franchise has released several players ahead of the auction, including batters Kiran Navgire and Shweta Sehrawat, wicketkeeper Amy Jones, all-rounders Deandra Dottin and Chloe Tryon, and leg-spinner Asha Sobhana.
Reema also identified the need for an Indian wicketkeeping option, naming G Kamalini as a potential target despite Phoebe Litchfield being capable of keeping wickets.
“Yes, Phoebe Litchfield can keep wickets, but having an Indian wicketkeeping option is always beneficial, and someone like G. Kamalini would be a perfect option for UPW,” she said.
Beyond filling specific positions, Reema stressed that UP Warriorz need to build a settled core around Captain Meg Lanning and avoid frequent changes to their squad.
“When you have the biggest purse for three years continuously, that means that your think tank is still not able to pick the right players. Along with head coach Abhishek Nayar, the scouting team will also be under pressure to identify the right players to help settle the team,” she said.
Reema pointed to Gujarat Giants as an example of a franchise that addressed its issues last season, urging UP Warriorz to identify players who can contribute consistently and complement Lanning.
“They also need to make the most of their auction purse. You have to show faith in the players you’re picking. If they keep chopping and changing, they will never find the stability a franchise needs to win titles,” she added.
The WPL 2027 season is scheduled to be held from January 14 to February 7.
Source: IANS
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