New Delhi, Nov 3 — Former India batter Veda Krishnamurthy believes UP Warriorz should consider appointing an Indian player as captain for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2027 season, suggesting that handing the responsibility to experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma could give the franchise greater flexibility while selecting their overseas combination.
The franchise has assembled a squad featuring several prominent overseas names, including Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Molineux and Grace Harris. With only four overseas players permitted in the playing XI, Veda feels an Indian captain could help UP Warriorz avoid selection decisions being influenced by the leadership responsibilities of an overseas recruit.
She identified Deepti, who has been associated with the franchise since the inaugural edition, as a strong candidate for the role, while suggesting that Lanning could still contribute to the leadership group without necessarily wearing the captain's armband.
“I am a big fan of having an Indian player as captain. That solves a lot of problems when you talk about the overseas combination. When you have Deepti Sharma, who has been there for four years, I honestly feel it is time for UP Warriorz to think in that direction. They can say that Deepti is the captain. You always have Meg Lanning there, who can probably guide her.
“It doesn't have to be Meg Lanning as captain. It can be Deepti Sharma as captain, with Meg Lanning helping her along. That probably solves a lot of problems because then you can look at the best possible options you would want in your playing XI,” Veda told JioStar.
Veda’s suggestion comes at a time when UP Warriorz have multiple overseas players competing for limited places, making the captaincy question an important part of their team-building exercise. She also pointed towards the potential complications of having an overseas captain who may not necessarily be an automatic selection based on current form or team requirements.
"If you feel that Meg Lanning might not feature, considering that she has not been playing international cricket of late and has only been playing franchise leagues, it makes things a lot easier. If you have an overseas player as the captain, you are bound to play them in the XI. That unsettles things a little bit if they are not in form,” she added.