New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS) UP Warriorz mentor Lisa Sthalekar said the franchise was unable to retain Deepti Sharma ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction because of ‘the players we needed’ in the initial sets, but expressed relief at having the India all-rounder back in the squad.

At the ongoing WPL 2026 mega auction in New Delhi, Deepti, the Player of the Tournament in India’s recent Women’s ODI World Cup, became the joint second-most expensive player in the league’s auction history when UPW exercised their Right to Match (RTM) card to reclaim her for INR 3.2 crore.

“No, we needed to have a bigger purse. Obviously, if you retain a capped player like Deepti Sharma, you’re losing 3.5 crore anyway from your purse. So, it was about being able to have some flexibility to navigate and pick up the players that we wanted to in probably the first one and two sets because there was a lot of good players that we needed in that set. So, that’s the reason why she wasn’t retained. But thankfully, she’s come back,” Lisa told reporters on the sidelines of the auction on Thursday.

Asked on getting Australia opener Phoebe Litchfield, Lisa said, “I think Phoebe Litchfield has got the ability to play 360 degree. She loves Indian conditions. She loves Indian bowlers. We know that with her record. She’s going to be a powerhouse and we’re hoping to kind of develop her over these next couple of years with the UP Warriorz.”

Lisa said the think-tank was happy with their auction buys so far, but admitted to being surprised over getting back Sophie Ecclestone as a bargain buy. “We’re happy so far. We’ve still got a few spots to fill. So, this next little phase will be really important for us. But at the moment, we’re tracking according to plan.”

“To be fair, I was very surprised about the price of Sophie Ecclestone. 85 lakh, I think, is an absolute bargain for what she brings. So, that has helped us to be able to gain and bid for other players just to fill our squad a little bit more with depth.”

Getting leg-spinner Asha Sobhana was important too from a experience perspective. “We needed someone in the middle. Obviously, a wrist spinner as well is very important. She’s got good speeds. She’s already been there and done it at a WPL level. So, we’re excited to see what she can potentially do for us,” said Lisa.

She also felt pleased over N Sree Charani getting INR 1.3 crore. “Well, look at all of you, right? There’s a prime example. Normally, there was like one or two of you. Now, I’m absolutely crowded by reporters. So, that’s a great thing for the women’s game. We’ve probably seen someone like Sree Charani as well. Her performances in the World Cup has probably elevated her price. Obviously, 50 over T20 cricket is slightly different. But she’s performed well and she deserves everything she gets.”

Getting pacer Kranti Gaud cheaply for INR 50 lakh was huge, said UPW fielding coach Saurabh Bandekar. “I think it took everyone by surprise but we knew that not many people would potentially bid for her knowing that we had the RTM so it was okay. I think we were all expecting it because our purse was very big. We were getting the players we had planned for at a good price. So, this was expected, I guess,” he told reporters.

He also talked about head coach Abhishek Nayar heading the side’s auction strategy. “He gave the most input. He is the head coach. One good thing about him was that he was very clear. So, our plan was to be clear, go with the plan and stay disciplined. So, I think that worked today.”

Getting Deepti and Sophie back again was a big positive for the side. “I am very excited. Everyone knows the quality of Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma. They have done a great job for us in the past as well.”

“As far as Phoebe Litchfield is concerned, she is a very good prospect, and exciting talent. She can make runs anywhere on the ground and she is very good at fielding as well. So, we are very excited about that as well,” added Bandekar.

He signed off by saying having quality Indian players like Kranti, Kiran Navgire and Harleen Deol was key to ticking the Indian players contingent they envisaged. “It was very important for us to show good trust in Indian batters. Kiran Navgire has gone through a very good domestic season.”

“Harleen Deol has gone through a very good year. She has made a lot of runs. In India, she is probably after Smriti, Jemimah and Harman who have made very good runs. We have seen Kranti, she did very well last year for us. She brings two skills for us – good bowling with the new ball and is very good at fielding as well. So, we are very happy.”

–IANS

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