The WPL 2026 season brings high drama early. Meg Lanning, now captaining UP Warriorz (UPW), faced her former Delhi Capitals (DC) side in Match 7. Both teams desperately wanted their first win of the season. This crucial early fixture set up a fascinating contest. Lanning led DC to their inaugural WPL title in 2024, but switched to UPW before 2026. A personal narrative added spice to the game.
Lanning’s New Chapter, Old Foes
Lanning’s move from DC to UPW was a big off-season story. She built a dynasty in Delhi, opening alongside Shafali Verma in prior years. Now she stands against them. The Australian opener brings a wealth of experience. But it’s a new challenge for her at UPW.
Her international career ended last November. Lanning revealed an “unhealthy relationship” with exercise and food led to her retirement from national duty. She kept playing domestic T20 leagues. And that included the Women’s Premier League in India. It’s a testament to her enduring passion for the game, despite personal struggles.
Warriorz Stumble, Bell Shines
UPW came into Match 7 after a tough loss. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat them by nine wickets in Match 5 just two days earlier, on January 12. UPW’s batting struggled against RCB’s bowlers at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. They were 50 for 5 at one point. Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin did manage to add 87 runs in the last 10 overs, but it wasn’t enough.
Lauren Bell, RCB’s bowler, was a standout. She made her WPL 2026 debut against UPW. Bell bowled 27 dot balls from 36 powerplay deliveries. That’s a 75% dot rate. She was better than Mumbai Indians’ Shabnim Ismail. Bell had Lanning’s number too.
She conceded just 12 runs off 23 balls to Lanning historically. She got Lanning’s wicket again. Bell started with a short ball, then an away-swinger beat Lanning’s drive. That was key. You can check out ESPN’s breakdown of Bell’s impact. RCB’s powerplay strategy worked perfectly. They squeezed UPW to 36 for 1.
UPW even tried a new opening pair against RCB. Harleen Deol went in instead of Kiran Navgire. Deol faced seven dots in nine balls. She sliced to mid-off. Meg Lanning herself admitted, “There were too many dot balls early on, including from myself.” She said this after the RCB loss. Lanning also spoke about Shikha Pandey’s cross-seam bowling. She thought it might be “an attempt to get the ball to move off the wicket.”
The Quest for a Crucial Win
Both Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz needed this win. DC also lost their opener. So Match 7 was a chance to kickstart their campaigns. UPW captain Meg Lanning acknowledged the challenges. “We would have loved to start the season with a win or two, but we were outplayed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru,” she stated. But she saw a silver lining. “Games are coming thick and fast, which gives us a chance to bounce back.”
“We would have loved to start the season with a win or two, but we were outplayed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. RCB bowled really well up front and never allowed us a sniff with the bat… Games are coming thick and fast, which gives us a chance to bounce back… There are a few areas we need to tidy up.”
— Meg Lanning, UP Warriorz Captain, following the RCB loss (via Hindustan Times)
Lanning’s comments reflect a pragmatic approach. You don’t dwell on losses in a T20 tournament. You adapt. Both teams need powerplay improvements. UPW tweaked their opening. DC will need to counter Lanning’s aggression. The WPL 2026 schedule is relentless. That means quick recoveries are essential. No confirmed results for Match 7 are out yet, as of January 13, 2026, 4 PM UTC. But the stage was set for an intense showdown.
Soureesh Datta 
Sagnik Banerjee 
Ishaan Singh