Coming into the WPL 2026 auction with the leanest squad and hence the biggest purse, UP Warriorz (UPW) made some heads turn by buying Shikha Pandey for a whopping INR 2.40 crore, using the RTM (right to match) option for Deepti Sharma , whom they had released earlier, and getting England's left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone for just INR 85 lakh. Their new head coach Abhishek Nayar , who takes over from Jon Lewis from the upcoming season, said they wanted Pandeyfor her experience and using the RTM for the Indian names was always their plan.

"[Shikha] came for the trials. She is an experienced player and we wanted her experience of having played in high-pressure tournaments," Nayar told ESPNcricinfo after the auction in Delhi on Thursday. "Her numbers in the WPL are the best amo

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