UP Warriorz Signs Chinelle Henry as Replacement for Alyssa Healy in WPL 2025
The UP Warriorz have announced that they will welcome West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry as a replacement for Australian star Alyssa Healy in the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL). Healy, who recently played in the Women’s Ashes, decided to withdraw from the upcoming tournament to focus on her fitness and prepare for the ODI World Cup scheduled in India later this year.
Healy has been dealing with knee and foot issues, which have also kept her sidelined during several matches, including the Women’s T20 World Cup and the Women’s Big Bash League 2024. Following Australia’s impressive victory over England in the Day-Night Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Healy expressed her disappointment about needing to take a break for recovery. "Unfortunately for me, I’ve got a couple of months feet up. I’m pretty bummed by that, but at the same time, elated to have a little bit of downtime and try and get my body right," she shared.
Chinelle Henry, 29, is no stranger to T20 cricket, boasting a record of 473 runs and 22 wickets from 62 T20 International matches. In December 2024, she made headlines by scoring a rapid 43 runs off just 16 balls against India in Navi Mumbai. Henry also plays for the Barbados Royals in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).
RCB Brings in Heather Graham and Kim Garth After Player Departures
In other WPL news, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), defending champions of the league, faced some challenges after English all-rounder Kate Cross and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons. To fill the gap, RCB has signed Australian players Heather Graham and Kim Garth.
Graham notably accomplished a T20I hat-trick against India in 2022, while Garth, previously with the Gujarat Giants, impressed fans by taking five wickets in a match. Both players joined RCB at the base price of INR 30 lakhs. Additionally, England’s Charlie Dean has been brought on board as a replacement for Sophie Molineux, who is out due to an injury.
The excitement for the upcoming WPL season continues to build as teams make significant roster changes!
