Sophie Ecclestone, one of the most expensive buys at the inaugural TATA WPL auction, was secured by UP Warriorz for INR 1.8 crore. One of the most effective and consistent bowlers in the world, left-arm spinner Ecclestone was only 20 years old when she became the no. 1-ranked bowler in the ICC T20I Rankings. Now 26, Ecclestone has more than 300 international wickets to her name and averages a miserly 15.73 in T20Is with 142 wickets in 101 matches. Ecclestone is England’s leading T20I wicket-taker of all-time. With 36 wickets in just 25 matches, the supremely talented Englishwoman is also the third-highest wicket-taker in the WPL, and famously defended just eight runs as UPW won the first-ever Super Over in the WPL, against RCB in WPL 2025. UPW onboarded Ecclestone for INR 85 lakh in the 2026 Mega Auction, and she is, without a doubt, highly crucial to UPW’s hopes of a maiden title.