Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI) Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar was on Friday named as the head coach of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise UP Warriorz ahead of the fourth season of the competition.
Nayar, who was removed as the Indian men’s team assistant coach recently, less than a year into the job, joins UPW after the franchise parted ways with Jon Lewis, who had been in charge of the team for the last three seasons.
This isn’t Nayar’s first association with the Warriorz as he also helped them during the team’s off-season training camps in Bengaluru after the first edition of the league.
Speaking on his appointment, Nayar said, “I really enjoyed my time working with the UP Warriorz before and I’m thrilled to take on this new role. WPL is a fantastic platform for women’s cricket and I’m looking forward to working closely with the management to build a strong team.
“UP Warriorz already have a strong foundation in place, and I believe we can build something truly special. There is incredible potential and I will give it my all to help win their first-ever title this season.” Nayar, who represented Mumbai with distinction in first-class cricket, also played three ODIs for India before his retirement in 2019.
Since then, he has made a name for himself in coaching and was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders support staff as their assistant coach during their triumphant IPL campaign in 2024.
Several high-profile cricketers such as Dinesh Karthik and KL Rahul have talked about the positive turn that Nayar brought about in their game.
He has also served as the coach of the KKR academy in 2018 and was the head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in Caribbean Premier League in 2022.
Nayar was appointed as the Indian men’s team’s assistant coach after Gambhir Gambhir became its head coach and was part of the team that won the Champions Trophy in the UAE earlier this year.
However, his contract was terminated after that and he returned as KKR’s assistant coach for IPL 2025.
Jinisha Sharma, director at Capri Sports, which owns the franchise, said, “We believe that this appointment shows our strong intent to elevate the team’s performance and push for greater success in the upcoming WPL season.
“With Abhishek Nayar’s leadership, experience in coaching at the highest level and ability to bring out the best in players, the franchise is confident of a strong showing this season.” Kshemal Waingankar, COO, UP Warriorz, said, “Abhishek Nayar is one of the best brains in the business in global cricket, and we are delighted to have on our side as the head coach.
“We are excited about his vision for UP Warriorz, and we are confident that under his leadership, the team can provide its fans with many more memorable moments in the future.” PTI AH AH UNG
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