The UP Warriorz have announced the appointment of former India allrounder Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach ahead of the next edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Nayar takes over from Jon Lewis, who served in the role for the past three seasons.
This marks Nayar’s first official coaching role in the WPL, though he did work with the UP Warriorz during a week-long off-season camp in August 2023. Despite having no prior experience coaching a women’s franchise team, Nayar brings with him a wealth of coaching credentials and a reputation for player development.
A veteran of Mumbai’s domestic cricket circuit, Nayar represented India in three ODIs before retiring in 2019. He transitioned into coaching soon after, taking charge of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) academy in 2018. He later became part of the KKR coaching staff and played a key role in their 2024 IPL title win, working closely with mentor Gautam Gambhir.
Nayar was also head coach of the Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2022 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and briefly served as assistant coach of the Indian men’s national team under Gambhir in 2024, though his stint there ended less than a year later. He rejoined KKR as assistant coach for the 2025 IPL season.
“Bringing Abhishek Nayar on board as head coach feels like a natural and exciting step forward for UP Warriorz,” said Kshemal Waingankar, the franchise’s COO and director of cricket. “Few in Indian cricket bring the same depth of experience when it comes to shaping players and building winning cultures.”
Waingankar noted Nayar’s recent success across roles in three title-winning campaigns in the past 18 months and expressed confidence in his ability to transform the Warriorz into a formidable unit.
Nayar has worked closely with several top Indian players, including KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Venkatesh Iyer. His role in helping players like Karthik reinvent themselves in the T20 format has been widely acknowledged.
Despite a promising start in WPL 2023, where they made it to the playoffs, UP Warriorz have since struggled. They finished second from bottom in 2024 and ended last on the table in 2025. Overall, the team has played 25 matches across three seasons, winning 10 and losing 15.
Deepti Sharma captained the side in WPL 2025 in the absence of regular skipper Alyssa Healy, who missed the tournament due to injury.
With Nayar now at the helm, the Warriorz will hope to rejuvenate their campaign and challenge for their maiden WPL title in the upcoming season.