Jon Lewis steps down as UP Warriorz coach

Jon Lewis has stepped down as head coach of UP Warriorz ahead of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 season, ending a three-year stint with the franchise. The announcement was made by the Warriorz via a social media post on Friday, June 27.

"From day one, you believed in us. Through the highs, the learnings, and everything in between. Thank you, Coach Jon Lewis, for leading with heart, calm, and belief. You’ll always be a part of the Warriorz Family," the UP Warriorz Instagram post read.

Lewis joined the UP Warriorz in the first season of the WPL in 2023 and guided the team to the playoffs in their debut season. However, they was defeated by eventual champions Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. In the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the UP team finished fourth in 2024 with just three wins in eight games and ended up at the bottom of the table in 2025 with the same win-loss record.

Despite having a talented squad, injuries and poor performances affected their campaigns. Notably, in 2025, captain Alyssa Healy missed the season due to injury, and Deepti Sharma was named as stand-in skipper. Lewis was also sharing responsibilities as head coach of the England Women’s national team, a position he took on in November 2022. After England’s dismal 16-0 loss to Australia in the Women's Ashes and a group-stage exit in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Lewis resigned from the England post in March 2025.

Meanwhile, during his tenure, UP Warriorz set the WPL record for the highest team total (225/5 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru) earlier this year, thanks to Georgia Voll's unbeaten 99. With Lewis’s exit, the team will be in search of a new coach ahead of WPL 2026.