The UP Warriorz entered the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction with the maximum purse among all five teams, with Rs 14.5 crore in hand. At the end of the auction, the franchise, with new head coach Abhishek Nayar at the helm, assembled a group of experienced and young players, aiming to help them win their maiden title. Yet, one loophole remained: the absence of a premier wicketkeeper-batter, who could lend balance to the playing XI. The franchise has Phoebe Litchfield and 23-year-old Shipra Giri to don the gloves, but Nayar, who was appointed in place of Jon Lewis, agreed that wicketkeeping was an area of concern for the team, a few days before their season opener against the Gujarat Giants on January 10. He also cited KL Rahul’s transformation into a batter-keeper in the men’s team, and expressed hope of finding a similar player in the women’s game. “I absolutely agree with you. There are concerns with the wicket-keeping aspect of it. We are working our way around it. We, maybe surprised you all …