New Delhi, August 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former India captain Anjum Chopra has welcomed Neetu David’s appointment as chief scout of UP Warriorz, saying the former India selector’s experience and understanding of Indian cricket can prove valuable to the WPL franchise and the players around her.
David, a former India chief selector, was recently appointed chief scout of UP Warriorz, marking her first franchise role in T20 cricket after stepping down as chairperson of the women’s national selection committee. During her tenure, which began in 2020, the committee selected the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India team that went on to win the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup on home soil.
“Neetu David is a quality cricketer. Take nothing away from her. She’s a Hall of Famer and was a quality cricketer who won matches for India. The entire duration she played for India, she was a match-winner,” Anjum told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Wednesday.
The former India captain believes David’s time as a selector has also given her extensive knowledge of players emerging through the domestic system.
“She knows a lot about Indian cricket and a lot about the players coming through the ranks. Because she’s been a selector, she would obviously know the current bunch of players who are there and coming through,” she said.
Anjum added that working in a franchise environment would expose David to different approaches to preparation, discussions and strategic thinking, while also allowing her to pass on her experience to players.
David’s playing career is among the most distinguished in Indian women’s cricket. The left-arm spinner represented India in 10 Tests and 97 ODIs between 1995 and 2008, taking 182 wickets across formats. She still holds the record for the best bowling figures in a women’s Test innings, having claimed 8/53 against the West Indies in Jamshedpur in 1995.
She became only the second Indian woman to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2024 and recently served as a special selector in the Bihar setup.
UP Warriorz reached the playoffs in the inaugural WPL season in 2023 but finished at the bottom of the table in both 2025 and 2026. The franchise recently held a short off-season camp in Bengaluru, with David joining head coach Abhishek Nayar and mentor Lisa Sthalekar as preparations begin for WPL 2027.
Anjum said the franchise had assembled a strong squad on paper but needed greater consistency in converting its potential into performances.
“UP Warriors had an excellent team. If we go back to the auction where they picked this squad, on paper they were a champion side, but how they put their performance up on the park and do it consistently is the question,” she said.
“When they had the auction in November 2025, everyone looked at that team led by Meg Lanning and thought, ‘What a squad.’ So, I don’t know where it went haywire for them this time,” Anjum added.
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