The Women’s Premier League (WPL) returns with a brand new season in January 2026. It all starts on January 9, 2026, in Navi Mumbai.
The main focus will, obviously, be on the performances of all teams. But one can’t ignore the think tanks responsible for the on-field outcomes. We are talking about the head coaches and the support staff.
So, who are the head coaches of all five teams in the WPL 2026 season? Here we shed some light on them.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Head Coach: Jonathan Batty
The Capitals have shown their faith in Jonathan Batty for another season. He has been with DC since the first edition in 2023.
Delhi have had an incredible run under his guidance, making the final in all three seasons. But Batty has failed to transform the final appearance into a trophy.
He will be chasing the trophy once again, this time with a new captain in Jemimah Rodrigues.
DC Coaching Staff for WPL 2026:
Fielding Coach: Anagha Deshpande
Performance Coach: Simon Crampton
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Kavita Pandya
Gujarat Giants (GG)
Head Coach: Michael Klinger
The Giants had an impressive run last season. And Michael Klinger was at the forefront of it.
The Giants qualified for the WPL playoffs for the first time. So, the Giants, owned by Adani Sportsline, have backed Klinger for another season.
This time, the former Australian player will aim to take GG into the final and lift the trophy.
GG Coaching Staff for WPL 2026:
Batting Coach: Daniel Marsh
Bowling Coach: Pravin Tambe
Fielding Coach: Sarah Taylor
Know All About the WPL Here
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Head Coach: Lisa Keightley
Since Charlotte Edwards became England’s head coach, MI will miss out on her services. The former England player played a massive role in MI’s grand success. Edwards, along with Harmanpreet Kaur, delivered two WPL titles.
But now Lisa Keightley has big shoes to fill. Keightley was DC’s assistant coach in previous seasons.
Plus, she has a strong resume as a coach. Apart from her stint with DC, she has worked with Australia, England, Perth Scorchers (WBBL), Sydney Thunder (WBBL), and Northern Superchargers.
Keightley, in fact, guided the Superchargers to the Women’s Hundred title in 2025. So, MI will expect her to carry the momentum.
MI Coaching Staff for WPL 2026:
Batting Coach: Devika Palshikar
Fielding Coach: Nicole Bolton
Spin Bowling Coach: Kristen Beams
Mentor: Jhulan Goswami
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Head Coach: Malolan Rangarajan
Malolan Rangarajan has sort of earned a promotion. He served as RCB’s assistant coach under Luke Williams in the previous seasons.
But since Williams chose to fulfil his BBL commitments, RCB replaced him with Rangarajan. Since Rangarajan has been part of the support staff since 2023, he knows everything inside out.
He, obviously, will have a big task cut out, along with Smriti Mandhana, to bounce back from an average season last year.
RCB Coaching Staff for WPL 2026:
Bowling/Assistant Coach: Anya Shrubsole
Batting Coach: RX Muralidhar
UP Warriorz (UPW)
Head Coach: Abhishek Nayar
UP Warriorz have a new head coach for WPL 2026. Abhishek Nayar has taken over the reins from Jon Lewis.
Lewis left the job after three seasons with UPW. He had a good outing in 2023, but the last two seasons were below average. That led to his axing.
Now Nayar has a big challenge to overhaul UPW’s performance, along with a new captain in charge, Meg Lanning. Nayar has a good track record with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL. And he is also set to become KKR’s new head coach for IPL 2026.
UPW Coaching Staff for WPL 2026:
Assistant Coach: Hitshu Bachani
Bowling Coach: Alagh Pratibhan
Fielding Coach: Saurabh Bandekar
Mentor: Lisa Sthalekar
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