Gujarat Giants Retain Ashleigh Gardner as Captain for WPL 2026
New Delhi: The Gujarat Giants have confirmed the retention of Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner as captain for the forthcoming edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Gardner previously led the team in the last season, guiding them to the Eliminator and a third-place finish with four victories out of eight matches.
The 28-year-old all-rounder will aim to lead her team to success in the upcoming season, especially following strategic signings during the auction, which brought in some of the top talents in the shortest format of the game. Gardner has been a standout player for the Giants, accumulating 567 runs in 25 innings at a striking rate of 141.75, including five half-centuries. Alongside her batting prowess, she has also taken 25 wickets in her WPL career to date.
During WPL 2025, Gardner had her best season with the bat, scoring 243 runs in nine innings at an impressive strike rate of 164.18, while also contributing eight wickets as a bowler. However, her form dipped in the recent Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), where she managed only 143 runs across nine innings at a less favorable strike rate of 111.71.
In preparation for WPL 2026, the Gujarat Giants have solidified their squad with noteworthy signings. They secured New Zealand’s Sophie Devine for Rs 2 crore, along with Georgia Wareham and Danielle Wyatt. The team had already retained both Beth Mooney and Gardner, in addition to exercising Right to Match cards for Kashvee Gautam and Bharti Fulmali.
Renuka Singh emerged as the franchise’s most significant acquisition among Indian players, complemented by the selections of Titas Sadhu and Ayushi Soni.
Gujarat Giants Squad for WPL 2026: Ashleigh Gardner (C), Bharti Fulmali, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Kanika Ahuja, Sophie Devine, Kashvee Gautam, Kim Garth, Anushka Sharma, Ayushi Soni, Yastika Bhatia, Beth Mooney, Shivan Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Tanuja Kanwar, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, and Happy Kumari.
