Abhishek Nayar was on Friday announced as head coach of Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise UP Warriorz. The former India assistant coach had earlier helped the Warriorz in their off-season training camps in Bengaluru after the first edition of the league.
“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,” Nayar said. “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 played just three ODIs for India but had a prolific career in domesic cricket as an all-rounder for Mumbai. Since retiring in 2019, Nayar has developed a strong reputation for his coaching skills. Dinesh Karthik has credited him with unlocking his potential as a finisher in T20 cricket while the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have all spoken about how he has helped them as batters at various points.
Nayar was a key part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) staff last season when they won the 2024 Indian Premier League title. 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.”
