Not too good, not too bad - UP Warriorz finished third in their debut season.

Consistency and winning momentum will be the key mantra for the UP Warriorz in WPL 2024 as they look to better their performance from the previous edition. It was a journey of blowing hot and cold for the team in the maiden edition and they finished right in the middle of the table with four wins and as many losses. They made it to the playoffs before bowing out in the Eliminator. A finish at the top, which will give them two shots at making the final, is what they will be aiming at in 2024.

The Warriorz retained 13 players, second most along with Mumbai Indians, ahead of the WPL auction. Their power revolved around the enviable spin department - led by No.1 ranked bowler Sophie Ecclestone - and the Australian trio of Alyssa Healy, Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath - and they will stick to their strengths having retained the bulk of the personnel that turned up for the Warriorz last season.

Where did they finish last season: Third on the points table, lost the Eliminator

What did they try to address in the mini-auction?

They released veteran pacer Shabnim Ismail, along with Devika Vaidya, Shivali Shinde and Simran Shaikh, ahead of the auction. At the bidding event, the Warriorz focussed on the addition of domestic names. They roped in the uncapped Vrinda Dinesh - the opener from Karnataka - for a sum of INR 1.3 Crore [the second biggest uncapped buy], while they also brought in the experienced Gouher Sultana and Poonam Khemnar to further strengthen their spin arsenal. They also got hold of Danni Wyatt for only INR 30 Lakh but it was a surprise that they did not go for any pacers, especially after releasing Ismail, despite a few of them being available in the auction.

Squad: Alyssa Healy, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Chamari Athapaththu, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Soppadhandi Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Danni Wyatt, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor, Gouher Sultana.

Player to watch: Tahlia McGrath

She was the top run-getter for the Warriorz in the last edition, and the third highest overall, with 302 runs in eight innings, with four half-centuries. With some good knocks in recent months against India, including a couple of fifties in the one-off Test and 55-ball 68 not out in the first ODI, McGrath enters the WPL with a lot of confidence. She bowled only six overs in the last WPL but considering the team's dearth of pace resources, and with McGrath herself having bowled well recently, she could turn out crucial for the Warriorz with the ball as well.

Injuries and availability

Lauren Bell decided to pull out of WPL 2024 as she wanted to focus on the England team's preparations for the series against New Zealand, which begins just a couple of days after the T20 league ends. With pace stocks already depleted, the Warriorz opted to replace her instead with Chamari Athapaththu.