Capri Sports announced the appointment of former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar as the head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW) for the upcoming edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026).
Nayar’s appointment comes after the franchise parted ways with Jon Lewis, who had been at the helm for the last three seasons.
Hailing from Mumbai, Nayar has been part of KKR since 2018 and has worked closely with players like Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, and Rinku Singh since their early years. He was a part of the championship-winning Kolkata Knight Riders side in IPL 2024 as their assistant coach.
In 2024, Nayar also served as the assistant coach of the Indian men’s national team, where he worked under Head Coach Gautam Gambhir when they won the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
Abhishek 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 for Season 4. 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.”
Jinisha Sharma, Director, Capri Sports, 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.”
