UP Warriorz (UPW) have appointed Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season. Nayar will replace Jon Lewis, who was with the team for the last three seasons. The news was confirmed through a video on Instagram. The video was posted by comedian Zakir Khan.
Nayar played three ODIs for India and was a key player for Mumbai in domestic cricket. He retired from all forms of cricket in 2019.
‘WPL is a great platform for women’s cricket’ – Abhishek Nayar on Joining UP Warriorz for WPL 2026
Nayar said he is happy to take on this new role. “I really enjoyed working with the UP Warriorz before,” said Nayar. “WPL is a great platform for women’s cricket. I want to help the team win their first title.”
He also said that the team already has a strong base and much potential. This is Nayar’s first full-time coaching job in women’s cricket. He earlier worked with the UPW as a batting consultant in August 2023.
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Nayar was the assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2018 to 2024. He also coached Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2022 CPL. After KKR won IPL 2024, Nayar joined the Indian team as an assistant coach. He returned to KKR for IPL 2025. Many players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Dinesh Karthik have praised Nayar for improving their game.
UP Warriorz reached the playoffs in WPL 2023 but missed out in 2024. In WPL 2025, Deepti Sharma captained the side as Alyssa Healy was injured. The team finished last on the points table.
UP Warriorz hope Nayar’s experience will bring success in the new season.
