UP Warriorz challenges gender stereotypes with new campaign

With the third season of the WPL approaching, UP Warriorz has launched the “Papa ki Warriorz” campaign, recognising fathers who support their daughters' ambitions and challenging gender stereotypes in everyday language.

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The film has been directed by Uzher Khan, and produced by Surfboard Films. The campaign challenges stereotypes that discourage women, especially in sports, and highlights the role of fathers and family support. It focuses on the obstacles women face—emotional, societal, and physical—while emphasising how overcoming these challenges strengthens their determination to succeed.

The campaign features UP Warriorz players Deepti Sharma, Saima Thakor, Kiran Navgire, Uma Chetry, and Vrinda Dinesh, showcasing their training and determination ahead of WPL Season 3.

Captained by Deepti Sharma, UP Warriorz is one of the founding teams in the WPL. This season, they will play at home in Lucknow for the first time at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. Their matches in Lucknow are against Gujarat Giants on March 3, Mumbai Indians on March 6, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 8.

The UP Warriorz start their WPL Season 3 campaign against the Gujarat Giants on February 16 in Vadodara.

Speaking on the occasion, Jinisha Sharma, director, Capri Sports, said, “Papa ki Warriorz is personal—not just for me, but for every player on this team. We’ve all had our fathers shape our journeys, stand by us, and believe in us when others doubted. Society is still patriarchal, but allyship matters, and many of our fathers have been our biggest allies. ‘Papa ki Pari’ has often been seen as a dismissive label, implying entitlement. But we’re flipping that. If it means knowing what we want and going after it with everything we have, then we wear it with pride. We’ve worked for this, we’ve earned this, and we belong here.”