Abhishek Nayar is new UP Warriorz head coach, taking over the position from former head coach Jon Lewis next season.
Abhishek Nayar, a former all-rounder for India, has been named head coach of the UP Warriorz (UPW) for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) season. Following the departure of Jon Lewis, who had led the team for the previous three seasons, Nayar was appointed.
Nayar brings a wealth of coaching experience to the setup. Before retiring in 2019, Nayar, a mainstay of Mumbai’s first-class cricket team, participated in three One-Day Internationals for India. His career path has since shifted to coaching. After serving as the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders academy in 2018, he became an assistant coach with the KKR support staff. In the CPL 2022, Nayar was also the head coach of the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).
In August 2023, Nayar led UPW in a week-long off-season camp in Bengaluru, despite the fact that he had never coached a women’s team. Over the years, he has also worked one-on-one with a number of Indian players, both international and uncapped.
“I really enjoyed my time working with the UP Warriorz before and I’m thrilled to take on this new role,” Nayar said. “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.”
“Bringing Abhishek Nayar on board as head coach feels like a natural and exciting step forward for UP Warriorz,” Kshemal Waingankar, COO and director of cricket UPW, told ESPNcricinfo. “When someone of Abhishek’s calibre became available, it was a no-brainer. Few in Indian cricket bring the same depth of experience when it comes to shaping players and shaping winning cultures.
“In just the past 18 months alone, Abhishek has been part of three championship-winning campaigns, each in a different role, each leaving a lasting impact. We are thrilled to have him lead a Warriorz side that’s united, fearless and hungry to grow. With Abhishek at the helm, we believe this group can do something truly special.”
The WPL hasn’t been the best for UPW thus far. In the first season of 2023, they advanced to the playoffs but were defeated in the elimination round by the eventual winner Mumbai Indians. Since then, in 2024 and 2025, respectively, they have placed second to last in the five-team points standings.
UPW has participated in 25 WPL games over the course of several seasons, losing 15 and winning 10. Following Alyssa Healy’s injury-related withdrawal from the competition, Deepti Sharma was selected as their WPL 2025 captain.