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Hot take: UPW came in with the biggest purse and bought the most players (eight), including Sophie Molineux for INR 1.1 crore (US$120,000 approx.). They have a squad with plenty of top-order players and bowlers, but few middle-order batters. They boast a spin-heavy unit with the addition of offspinner Sneh Rana, leg-spinner Asha Sobhana and left-arm spinners Sahana Pawar and Molineux. Kathryn Bryce was a steal at base price, and gives them the option to field five overseas players in the XI since she is from Scotland, an Associate nation.

Possible best XI: 1 Meg Lanning* (capt), 2 Phoebe Litchfield*, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Simran Shaikh, 5 Deepti Sharma, 6 Sophie Molineux*, 7 Kathryn Bryce* 8 Sophie Ecclestone*, 9 Sushma Verma (wk), 10 Shikha Pandey, 11 Kranti Gaud

Full squad

Batters: Meg Lanning (capt), Phoebe Litchfield, Simran Shaikh, Pratika Rawal
Wicketkeepers: Sushma Verma, Shipra Giri
Allrounders: Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Sophie Molineux, Harleen Deol, Grace Harris, Kathryn Bryce, Sneh Rana
Spinners: Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Sahana Pawar
Fast bowlers: Manali Dakshini, Kranti Gaud

Related
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Sophie Molineux the top buy at WPL 2027 auction

What they said

“[We were going to get Molineux] at any cost. Grace [Harris] brings power to the middle order, Sophie Molineux obviously leadership qualities, an exceptional bowler and fantastic with the team in general. Our thought was her and Sophie Ecclestone together would be a lethal force.”
UPW COO and director of cricket, Kshemal Waingankar

In another blow to New Zealand’s fast-bowling attack, Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the rest of the T20I series against India and has been replaced by Matthew Fisher.

Ferguson played the first two T20Is of the series and “experienced pain in his right-calf” during the second game in Christchurch, NZC said in a release. It said subsequent scans confirmed a “low-grade tear”, and he is expected to require “another week or so of recovery” before he returns to play.

Fisher joined the T20I squad in Wellington as bowling cover, and was originally named for the third T20I only but will remain with the side for the rest of the series. He was initially set to feature in the series against India A. Fast bowler Brett Randell has been called up to the New Zealand A squad for the second match to replace Fisher.

Fast bowlers Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson, who are also missing the rest of the T20I series, remain on track to be available for the ODI series that starts on November 4 in Auckland. Both are undergoing “planned workload management”, which means fast bowlers are being moved around in and out of the New Zealand squad for the ongoing tour.

Henry experienced pain in his right quadricep during the second T20I, and scans have shown he picked up a low-grade tear and will require one-to-two weeks recovery. Jamieson will remain in Wellington, and will be available for Canterbury’s second-round game of the Ford Trophy on Saturday, before rejoining New Zealand on Monday for the ODIs.

“We’re gutted for Lockie and Matt,” head coach Rob Walter said. “Injuries are part and parcel of international cricket, but it doesn’t make it any easier when you have to miss games. “Fortunately for Matt, he was already going to sit out on the rest of the T20Is with an eye to his big summer schedule, and we’re hopeful he’ll still play a key role in the ODIs.

“I know Lockie was fizzing to play in front of a sell-out home crowd at Eden Park tomorrow, but he’s determined to be back for the ODIs.”

New Zealand have already lost the five-match T20I series against India as they trail 3-0. The remaining two games are on October 30 in Auckland and on November 1 in Hamilton before the series moves to the five ODIs.