WPL 2026: Abhishek Nayar Breaks Silence On Harleen Deol 'Retired Out' Episode

The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 has already served up its fair share of tactical intrigue, but nothing sparked more debate than Harleen Deol being 'retired out' against Delhi Capitals. While the move raised eyebrows across the cricketing world, UP Warriorz head coach Abhishek Nayar has now come forward to clarify the air. Defending the bold strategy, Nayar revealed that the decision was far from a spur-of-the-moment call. According to him, the team management had communicated the plan well in advance to ensure clarity in the middle.

“It wasn't like a very spontaneous decision. The conversation started around the 12th over, when we first sent a message to Meg Lanning while they were batting together. I think post the time-out in the 14th over, Meg decided to have a word with Harleen as well. At that point of time, we had already communicated to Harleen that if we don't get going in the 16th or 17th over, we will look for a change,” Nayar told reporters in the post-match press conference. 

“I know from the outside it feels like, 'oh damn, what happened?' but when we reached the 17th over, we just felt we have the power, we wanted to make sure we gave them the opportunity in the game. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In hindsight, the whole team felt like that was the right decision,” he added.

A true team player 🤝
A composed knock in the chase 😇@imharleenDeol reflects on #UPW's maiden win of the season with Head Coach Abhishek Nayar 💛 - by @ameyatilak #TATAWPL | #KhelEmotionKa | #MIvUPW pic.twitter.com/Snc7hePliG

— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 16, 2026

While Harleen was visibly disappointed at the time having scored a solid 47 off 36 balls, she proved her worth in the very next game. Silencing critics, she smashed an unbeaten 64 off 39 balls to guide UP Warriorz to a clinical seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians.

“She is a team player, she always thinks team first, Harleen second. So the conversations post that incident were more about how we can make a difference today. But it wasn't a very tough conversation, so it was more about making sure she's okay, and the stigma around [retired out], When people talk about it, and say, 'oh, this has happened' without knowing what's happening. I think not only me, but a couple of the coaches and owners had conversations, but she was okay. I remember just after walking in, the first thing she said, 'Sir, we can win this game'. It becomes very easy when you have a player who doesn't think 'me' and thinks team,” he said praising Harleen's "team-first" attitude.

Topics mentioned in this article

Harleen Deol Abhishek Nayar UP Warriorz WPL 2026 Cricket