Want to be a team that appeals to entire state: UP Warriorz owner Jinisha Sharma
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The emergence of the UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League marked a significant milestone in franchise cricket, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. When the franchise was introduced in 2023, scepticism naturally loomed over its reception, considering the state’s relatively recent prominence in the cricketing landscape. With the Lucknow Super Giants making their IPL debut only a year prior, questions arose about the Warriorz’s ability to carve out their own niche in the competitive arena of franchise cricket.
Despite the initial uncertainties, the UP Warriorz swiftly garnered attention and support, even without a designated home ground in their inaugural season. The franchise found itself in the midst of franchise cricket giants like the Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals, yet managed to attract a dedicated fanbase. Much of this success can be attributed to the relentless efforts of Jinisha Sharma, the head of Capri Sports, who assumed the dual role of managing the Warriorz while overseeing other franchise teams across various sports leagues.
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As we delve deeper into Sharma’s experience navigating the challenges of establishing and running a WPL franchise, it becomes evident that her multifaceted expertise extends beyond cricket. From the Sharjah Warriors in the International League T20 to the Bengal Warriors in kabaddi and the Rajasthan Warriors in kho-kho, Sharma’s managerial prowess has left an indelible mark across the organisation’s sporting properties.
“The real uphill battle, initially, is when you’re figuring out what the brand is going to be about,” Sharma tells Hindustan Times.
“Figuring out right from the name, the look and feel of the brand, the internal team who’s going to manage everything. So, those were the initial things that we had to put together. But everything came together beautifully, right from the anthem to the branding. So, we are quite happy in terms of those things. The team management itself was a completely new space for me.”
While venturing into various sporting domains undoubtedly broadens one’s expertise, delving into women’s sports presents unique challenges. The anticipation surrounding the inception of a women’s franchise T20 league in Indian cricket was palpable, promising significant attention. Yet, the landscape remained uncharted territory, with the league’s success and reception still uncertain.
“Building a sports brand, especially women’s sports, which is still largely under-explored in India (was a challenge). But there were really exciting challenges. And I think we’ve educated ourselves in taking them on. We looked at the trajectory of IPL, which gave us some indication of what their numbers have been, how they’ve grown, and what activities they’ve undertaken to reach this level of growth, both commercially and on a brand level.
“Now, with women’s sports… we were positively surprised at the crowd that showed up and how well it did in terms of TV reach also. The number of searches went up, so we studied everything. If you ask any female cricketer, they would say that they’ve never played the amount of cricket that they’ve played this year (2023). After WPL got over, they went for the Bangladesh series and the domestic cricket had been super packed for them.
“So, we’re really excited also to see the kind of effect that is trickling down, not just for the Indian team, but also for the other age groups in domestic cricket. The exposure has increased. In terms of unpredictability, we’ve never done like a home and away still. So, that is going to be a unique challenge, especially for a team that’s going to be out of UP.”
Undoubtedly, the Indian Premier League stands as a beacon of learning for numerous leagues, including the WPL. The IPL catalysed a revolution not only in cricket but in global sports as well. In a 2023 report by Brand Finance, the IPL’s valuation soared by approximately 28 percent, reaching a staggering $10.8 billion.
The report also named Chennai Super Kings as the IPL’s strongest brand, boasting a brand strength index (BSI) score comparable to that of TikTok and Mercedes Benz. It’s no surprise then that Sharma drew inspiration from CSK while crafting the framework and strategies for the UP Warriorz. However, the Warriorz head adds that every IPL team has provided learnings on how to build a sustainable brand.
“If you purely look at brands, and no, I’m not talking just cricket… I would say Chennai has been a great example of hyperlocal content and how they’ve managed to build on that. From a social media perspective, I would say Rajasthan Royals has also done really well on numbers and I think they have the pulse on trends.
“We have taken learnings from different teams. MI, of course, has built a fantastic brand over the years. We have been lucky that Lucknow Super Giants have been quite open in terms of what their learnings have been within UP and even within managing the Lucknow Stadium, and what works and what doesn’t work. So, we’ve had the advantage of seeing ten teams take ten different journeys, and it has informed us about how we should be thinking. But yes, as I said earlier, with women’s cricket, it’s a completely different ball game.”
Why UP?
Being a pioneer carries both advantages and disadvantages. UP has rarely been associated with franchise teams. Just two years ago, Lucknow made its debut in the IPL and has gradually started leaving its imprint on the tournament. However, while contending with established franchise hubs poses its challenges, establishing a distinctive brand from a state not widely recognised for its franchise sporting prominence presents an entirely different set of obstacles.
What led to that decision?
“We kept in mind the next few decades. We kept in mind what geographies were available and where there wasn’t already a monopoly in terms of the brands which had been created. Of course, the most important part is that it’s the most populous state. It is one of the key markets for most brands. So, we know that we could leverage that. How we leverage that is on us, but that’s an opportunity we’ve created for ourselves,” says Sharma.
“There is immense potential, whether you look at tourism, culture, food, or business. So, there is, again, a lot that we can be a part of. The Lucknow versus UP thing… that’s also something that we thought really hard about. It made sense if we picked the state. It gave us a lot more room to work with because UP is so large. From Lucknow to Varanasi… it’s completely different. We wanted to be a team that appealed to the entire state. And I think we’ve done that. Our fans have always felt like, in our tonality, they can connect. So, we hope to continue to build on that.”
A torchbearer
Having assumed the reins of Capri’s sporting endeavours a little over a year ago, Sharma delved into a business landscape that can often be isolating for women, especially in positions of leadership. Sharma acknowledges the skewed gender ratio in executive leadership roles, with women comprising only a fraction.
“We’ve already seen a few glimpses of women in leadership roles with Preity (Zinta), Nita Ji (Ambani), and Kavya (Maran). The CEOs have been women. I agree that there is definitely a lot more room for women to get involved in sports; it is still heavily male-dominated. Even in WPL, you will see that most of the teams are still very much male-heavy, right from management to ops, so, this was a really unique opportunity for me to try. I’ve taken this up because I’m really passionate about the Indian sports culture.
“All of us have grown up watching cricket, but now, getting into different geographies with Sharjah (Warriors) or looking at indigenous sports like football and kabaddi… that has been really fantastic. Because we’ve always looked to the West in terms of how they have developed. I don’t think India is any different. I’m excited on that front, and my role exposes me to that. I’m taking more interest in building the brands, right from the look and feel, right from what the teams are wearing, how are we positioning them, and the kind of brands we are bringing on board.”
