WPL 2026: Why UP Warriorz players are wearing pink jersey in the UPW vs MI clash?

The UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians (UPW vs MI) clash in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is being played at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

The UP Warriorz recently grabbed a massive seven-wicket win that finally ended their long winless streak in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. They now head straight into a high-stakes rematch against the Mumbai Indians at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Academy this Saturday afternoon.

Harleen Deol’s aggressive batting and Deepti Sharma’s accuracy have given the team a much-needed boost. Now, these players have to prove that their big win on Thursday was the start of a real turnaround, not just a one-off performance.

On the other side, Harmanpreet Kaur’s squad still sits comfortably in second place on the table. Even so, they are clearly hungry to fix the mistakes that cost them the last game. So, this Saturday matchup looks set to be a tense, tactical battle. Mumbai are out for revenge, while the Warriorz are fighting to keep their momentum going.

WPL 2026: Why UP Warriorz players are wearing pink jersey in the UPW vs MI clash?

Meanwhile, the UP Warriorz franchise took a distinctive step during the UPW vs MI clash. They dedicated their January 17 match against the Mumbai Indians to the cause of female literacy.

The team worked with a group called Educate Girls. They did not wear their purple and yellow uniforms. Instead, they wore a jersey that an artist named Harun Robert designed. This jersey had some writing on it. The writing was from letters that young girls from communities wrote.

The team thought this was an idea because it made their uniforms very special. The uniforms were like signs that gave people hope. The team and Educate Girls wanted to help people think about the girls who wrote these letters. The jerseys were a way to remember Educate Girls and the work they do.

The campaign is about Open Schooling. Open Schooling is a way of learning that’s very flexible. It lets girls complete their Class 10 and Class 12 qualifications without having to go to school every day. In some places, like Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India, girls often have to leave school because of money problems or family duties. Open Schooling is really helpful for these girls.

So, the franchise wants to make these alternative paths feel normal. Safeena Husain, who founded Educate Girls, says this partnership changes how we see education. She believes learning is a lifelong promise rather than a single event.

The work they are doing also fits perfectly with the NGOs ’10×10′ goal. The NGOs ’10×10′ goal is to reach 10 million learners over the ten years. By taking the NGOs ’10×10′ goal message to a cricket match the team makes sure that millions of people watching the match join the conversation, about the NGOs ’10×10′ goal. This helps to make a difference and the impact of the NGOs ’10×10′ goal goes far beyond the cricket field.

Sport as a Catalyst for Social Change

The UP Warriorz initiative is important because it helps people think differently about giving women a chance. In a lot of places, people think that if a girl stops going to school, she will never get to finish her education. The UP Warriorz are using the WPL to show that this is not true.

They are showing that school can still be a part of your life even when things get tough. The UP Warriorz and the WPL are making a difference by proving that education is not over for good just because a girl has to stop going to school for a while. The UP Warriorz are helping to change the way people think about chances for women.

Cricket in India carries a level of respect that almost no other platform can match. When top-tier athletes wear the dreams of young girls on their sleeves, they give those dreams national importance. This move shows that barriers like early marriage or tight finances do not have to define a woman’s future.

The campaign shows that real empowerment needs a flexible system. By backing open schooling, the team does not merely offer charity. They back a real-world fix for a deep, structural issue. They ensure every girl gets a chance to play her full innings in life.

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