Abhishek Nayar has worked extensively with men’s cricket teams at the international level and in franchise leagues. But it was a walk into the unknown for him when he took over as the head coach of UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) this season.
Though he had a few assignments with women’s teams in the past, those roles were for a short term, and mostly revolved around mentoring. But handling an entire team as its head coach comes with its own set of challenges.
Nayar admits that the job ‘has not been easy’ so far.
“I’m wrapping my head around it. A lot of coaches that I spoke to before taking up this job told me to be direct (in my communication). In men’s cricket, sometimes, because you work with them for a long time, there is that trust, so you say a certain thing. In women’s cricket, the attention to detail is a little more, so sometimes you need to sort of break it down in a lot of ways, and it’s not as obvious as you think it is,” Nayar said on Thursday.
READ | Harleen’s half-century helps UP Warriorz beat Mumbai Indians
“Sometimes you just think it’s going to happen, but it doesn’t. So, it’s more a hands-on job. I’m also telling myself every day that ‘Listen Abhishek, open your mouth, talk…’ And you sometimes have to do it, and they’re so receptive to it, it’s amazing,” he added.
Until last year, Nayar was an assistant coach with India’s men’s team, and is now the head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. But WPL is a different challenge.
“In men’s cricket, you have to be very (particular about) what you are saying, what you are not saying. I think in women’s cricket, they’re very receptive, so you can actually talk to them, you can get into those details.
But trust takes time, and I’m working around that…” he said.Nayar’s decision to ‘retire out’ Harleen Deol during the game against Delhi Capitals drew flak as the middle-order crumbled after Harleen’s exit. And, she bounced back with a fifty a day later, against Mumbai Indians. Nayar accepted that when such things happen and people start talking about it without knowing the reason behind such moves, the pressure builds up.
“But this role is different. It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s testing me in every way, and it’s sort of preparing me for the IPL also, in a different way,” he said, adding: “But I would say, it’s not been easy…”
The Warriorz have only win one of their four games so far.
Published on Jan 16, 2026
