Sports
WPL 2025: Bowlers hold the aces as UP Warriorz begin campaign against Gujarat Giants
Vadodara, Feb 15: The UP Warriorz have put in the hard yards in pre-season, and are all geared up to begin their campaign at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 season against Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on Sunday.
The team welcomes a new captain Deepti Sharma while retaining the mission to fight hard and win every match. This season also brings a thrilling new chapter as UP Warriorz will play at their home stadium in Lucknow for the very first time during phase three of the tournament.
The team kicks off their campaign in Vadodara, facing the Gujarat Giants on February 16, and will play two games in the first phase. In Bengaluru and Lucknow, after that, the UP Warriorz are scheduled to play three matches each, respectively, to close out the league stage of their campaign.
Captained by Deepti Sharma, who hails from UP, and coached by England’s Jon Lewis, the UP Warriorz have a strong bowling set-up, especially the spin battery, which is possibly the most dangerous in the competition. Sophie Ecclestone, who is the WPL’s highest wicket-taker with 27 scalps in two seasons, has India’s best bowler in the format Deepti Sharma for company in the attack. Deepti, who has bagged 138 wickets for India, has amassed 19 dismissals across two seasons for the UP Warriorz. And backing them up are the likes of Australian Alana King, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu (three wickets in 4 games), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (13 wickets from 16 games) and Gouher Sultana.
If the spinners are a deadly combination in the UP Warriorz set-up, the pace attack too is quite prolific. While Anjali Sarvani’s (six wickets in 13 games) shown her abilities with the ball in the first two seasons, the emergence of Saima Thakor has been a shot in the arm for the UP Warriorz. While Saima has only picked three wickets in six games, her ability to control the situation and the way she has grown from strength to strength over the last year augurs well for the UP Warriorz. Along with Saima, who is likely to lead the attack, and Anjali, the Warriorz also have in the ranks, the exciting speedster Kranti Goud, who helped Madhya Pradesh win a domestic ODI title for the first time with her four-wicket haul in the final.
For the UP Warriorz, the batting line-up is also one of their strengths. Sri Lankan ace Chamari Athapaththu, along with the Australian duo of Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris are well known to score fast in the T20 format, and when in form can really put the long handle to good use.
Among the Indian batters, Deepti leads the way, and will look to continue with her attacking approach, which was one of the reasons she won the MVP in Season 2, when she scored three half-centuries and was striking at close to 150. The likes of Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat and Vrinda Dinesh, have all shown plenty of promise in the recently completed domestic season and will hope to carry that form into the WPL.
While the batting and bowling departments can do plenty of damage to the opposition team, and put the UP Warriorz in a favourable position in the game, there are two aspects which could hamper their progress.
For starters, the fielding is an aspect Jon Lewis and Co. will want to work on this season, as catches can truly win matches, and UP Warriorz did not fare well in the field in Season 2. The other aspect that the UP Warriorz will be hoping for a bit of luck in is with injuries, especially to crucial young players.
UP Warriorz squad: Deepti Sharma (c), Uma Chetry (wk), Chinelle Henry, Poonam Khamnar, Kiran Navgire, Dinesh Vrinda, Chamari Athapaththu, Grace Harris, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Shweta Sehrawat, Anjali Sarvani, Sophie Ecclestone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor, Arushi Goel, Kranti Goud, Gouher Sultana.
National
Market volatility over Greenland issue to continue due to ‘few sticking points’: Report

New Delhi, Jan 24 : Investors are likely to remain on edge over the proposed US framework on Greenland, and near-term volatility related to this issue can continue, a report has said.
The report from Bank of Baroda said that market participants are awaiting more details that could determine whether negotiations succeed or unravel.
“Going ahead, investors are likely to await more details of the deal, as there are a few sticking points which can derail the negotiations. Hence, some volatility can be expected,” the report said.
Several analysts expect the arrangement to resemble an update of the existing security agreement between the US and Denmark, which was signed in 1951, the report noted.
Further negotiations will follow in due course which will cover areas such as US military presence in Greenland, as well as use of its mineral resources and sovereignty, said Aditi Gupta, Economist, Bank of Baroda.
US President Donald Trump has framed Washington’s interest in Greenland as driven by national security concerns, but the island’s largely unexplored mineral wealth including oil, gas and rare earth elements is of interest to US, the report said.
“The announcement of a framework deal between the US and NATO has helped to soothe investors’ nerves, however the details of the deal are still fuzzy,” it added.
Geo-political tensions escalated and markets went into turmoil after the US President intensified rhetoric to annex Greenland and threatened economic measures against European countries that oppose US plans. In response, several European nations, including France, Germany, Sweden amongst others increased military deployment in Greenland, further escalating tensions.
Trump had announced a 10 per cent additional tariff on goods from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Netherlands and Finland from February 1, 2026. The rate was expected to increase to 25 per cent by June 1, 2026.
Later, he backed off from his threat of imposing tariffs on European countries along the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
Sports
‘Journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions continues’: Bumrah on completing 10 years in int’l cricket

New Delhi, Jan 23: India’s fast bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah marked a decade in international cricket on Friday and reflected by saying it’s a continuation of ‘going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions’.
Bumrah made his debut in international cricket in the ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2016 and returned with figures of 2-40. He was the highest wicket-taker in the T20I leg of the tour, where India won the series 3-0.
Since then, Bumrah has become one of the world’s greatest fast bowlers across formats. “10 years of living the dream of the child who fell in love with the sport that made him feel alive like nothing in this world ever could. The journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions and keeping the belief alive continues, with the love and support of family and God. Waheguruji da shukr eda he baba ji mehraan bhariyaan hath rakheen. Satnam Waheguru,” Bumrah posted on his Instagram on Friday.
So far, Bumrah has picked 234 Test wickets in 52 matches at an average of 19.79. In 89 ODIs, he has claimed 149 wickets at an average of 23.55, while in 83 T20I, he has taken 103 wickets at an average of 18.17.
Bumrah’s best Test innings figures are 9-86, and he has 16 five-wicket hauls in Tests, while picking two five-fors in ODIs. He also became the first Indian fast bowler to reach the number one spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings.
Bumrah is also the recipient of the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, awarded to the Men’s Cricketer of the Year, for his exceptional performances in 2024. He also won the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year in 2024 for picking 71 wickets in 13 matches. Bumrah also won the Player of the Tournament award in India for winning the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup for picking 15 wickets at an average of 8.26.
Sports
Kohli is tied to the job of scoring runs, not to an image: Gavaskar

Indore, Jan 19: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Virat Kohli’s greatest strength lies in his ability to remain unshackled by expectations and play purely according to the situation after the talismanic batter scored a century in the third ODI against New Zealand.
While Virat Kohli scored his 54th ODI hundred, continuing his rich vein of form, India fell short against New Zealand, who were powered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.
“The thing about Virat is that he’s not tied down to an image. Many players feel pressured to play the way people expect them to. Virat isn’t like that. He’s tied to the job at hand, and that job is to score runs.” Gavaskar told Jio Star
“Sometimes he starts watchfully and then opens up; sometimes he attacks early and then spreads the field. He’s not governed by expectations of how he should play. He plays according to the situation. That temperament is the key,” Gavaskar said.
Gavaskar also shed light on the Men in Blue’s loss. He felt India’s problems began with a poor start throughout the series. “Once New Zealand crossed 300, it was always going to be difficult. If the target had been around 290, it might have been possible. But India kept losing early wickets, including KL Rahul, who was in good form.
“Unless Virat got substantial support, it was always going to be tough, and he got very little of it. As they say, well begun is half done. India never began well, and that’s one of the main reasons they couldn’t chase these scores,” he added.
Praising allrounder Harshit Rana for his late contribution, Gavaskar said the youngster showed clarity in his role. “He batted exactly like a lower-order batter should, without worry and without expectations. He knew his job was to swing the bat. If it came off, great. If not, no worries,” he said.
He also highlighted the learning opportunity for young players batting alongside a legend like Kohli. “To bat with someone like Virat Kohli is a privilege. When such players talk to you at the end of an over and say, ‘keep going’ or ‘good shot’, those are memories you carry for life,” Gavaskar said.
Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull lauded the visitors for their composure and depth, calling the series win a reflection of New Zealand’s strong development system.
“This is a special performance. Players like Jayden Lennox and Kristian Clarke came in on their first tour and stood tall in tough conditions. It shows how strong New Zealand’s pathway system is. To lose seven ODI series in a row in India shows how hard it is to win here. These players have managed to do what no one else has. It’s a brilliant achievement,” he added.
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