Brushing aside any suggestion that her high price could weigh her down in the upcoming Women’s Premier League, Deepti Sharma insisted she feels motivated rather than burdened after being bought back by UP Warriorz for Rs 3.2 crore.
The Indian all-rounder who was released even before the WPL auction brought back through the match option with the match rightshe said that the renewed faith she received only strengthened her desire to play in the fourth year of the tournament.
“There is no pressure, but there is definitely an incentive because when there is a high bid on you and so many people are watching and following you, you are doing well for your franchisee,” Deepti said on the sidelines of the CII Big Picture Summit.
“I don’t take it as any pressure. I look at it to enjoy it. I like to support myself in difficult times for my team and I also enjoy it.”
The 27-year-old revealed that her family was excited to see her return to the franchise from her home state, especially after the dramatic turnaround involving the right to match.
“Obviously they (the family) loved it and were very happy. They were waiting for the start of the WPL and just cheering. And when they heard about the right to play, they were very happy because I’m from UP and that I’m going to come back to the UP team and get another opportunity to play there,” she said.
Deepti added that her strong relationship with the Warriorz setup made the retention even more meaningful.
“I went to the same franchise and the management is very good and supportive. Especially the owners – they show a lot of faith in me. They always feel that if I play, I will do something good for the team, be it bowling or batting,” she said.
She is fresh off an excellent Women’s ODI World Cup campaign where she was named India’s player of the tournament with 22 wickets, five-for and a crucial 55 in the final against South Africa. Deepti said the global event helped sharpen her approach to the bat.
“Before entering the World Cup, I focused a lot on my batting and especially on my natural game. The more natural I play, the better it will be for the team.
“If you can hit one ball three different ways, it’s better. I’ve been working a lot on my strike rate and how I can get more runs for the team,” she added.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
December 2, 2025
