WPL 2026: Jon Lewis steps down as UP Warriorz coach

During Jon Lewis's tenure, UP Warriorz won 10 out of 25 matches. Their best finish came in the inagural season of Women's Premier League when UP Warriorz reached the Eliminator.

The first major change in the Women’s Premier League ahead of the WPL2026 season is here. UP Warriorz coach Jon Lewis has stepped down from his role as the head coach. His resignation comes three months after the England & Wales Cricket Board fired him as the women’s team head coach. During his tenure, UP Warriorz reached the playoff stage once in the inaugural season. However, in the last two seasons, the team did poorly.

“From day one, you believed in us. Through the highs, the learnings, and everything in between — Thank You, Coach Jon Lewis, for leading with heart, calm, and belief. You’ll always be a part of the Warriorz Family,” UP Warriorz posted on its social media channels as a farewell note.

UP Warriorz under Jon Lewis

The former England pacer Jon Lewis played 1 Test, 13 ODIs and 2 T20Is. After retiring in 2014, Lewis transitioned into coaching. He served as Sussex’s bowling coach (2015), England Under-19s head coach (2018), and England men’s fast-bowling coach (2021).

He was the head coach of Sri Lanka’s national team (2019–2021) and UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League. He was also the head coach of England Women’s team from November 2022 until March 2025. But he was sacked following a 16-0 Ashes defeat to Australia. Despite a strong record (52 wins in 73 matches, including eight consecutive ODI series wins and a drawn 2023 Ashes), England’s poor performances in the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Ashes, particularly against spin and in fielding, led to his dismissal.

Under Jon Lewis as the coach, UP Warriorz won 10 out of 25 matches. Their best finish came in the inaugural 2023 season when UP Warriorz reached the playoff stage after finishing third. However, they lost to eventual champions Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator.

UP Warriorz had a disappointing finish to WPL 2024 after missing out on the playoff stage following their loss to Gujarat Giants in the league. It followed another poor season as they finished at rock bottom. With captain and star batter Alyssa Healy pulling out of WPL 2025, UP Warriorz did not have a good campaign.

UP Warriorz WPL 2026

After the disappointments of WPL 2025, UP Warriorz could look at an overhaul of the squad, including captain Alyssa Healy and Deepti Sharma. Many players had below-par performances in their last campaign, including Deepti. Both Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath had inconsistent performances, leading to defeats.

UPL Warriorz WPL 2025 squad

Chinelle Henry, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma (c), Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Vrinda Dinesh, Saima Thakor, Poonam Khemnar, Gouher Sultana, Chamari Athapaththu, Uma Chetry, Arushi Goel, Kranti Goud, Alana King