Gujarat Giants have revisited their former captain, Ashleigh Gardner, and announced her as the captain for the upcoming season of the WPL. She was formerly replaced by Aussie teammate Beth Mooney, who now replaces her as the official captain of the side.
The first-ever mega-auction in the history of the Women’s Premier League in India was recently conducted, and every team almost revamped their squad and could retain just a handful of players. Gujarat Titans made some strange decisions, as they parted ways with Laura Wolvaardt, Deandra Dottin, and rising Indian sensation Harleen Deol.
Despite several new inclusions in the team, the Giants took a long time to announce their captain for the upcoming season, and they returned to their former captain for the role. The WPL 2026 schedule has been announced, and the Giants will kickstart their campaign against the UP Warriorz on the 10th of January.
Gujarat Giants officially hand over captaincy to Australian all-rounder
Gujarat Giants, the WPL franchise, have officially handed over the captaincy to star Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner for the upcoming edition of the WPL in 2026. The recent development was confirmed through an official X post.
Ashleigh Gardner was one of the two players to be retained by the Gujarat Giants before going into the auction. Having played 25 WPL matches for the Giants, Gardner also led them in the last season and took the team to the knockouts with 4 wins from 8 games.
Retained for a whopping INR 3.50 crores, Ash Gardner will remain one of the three costliest players in WPL 2026.
“OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Experience in her stride. Belief in her voice. Ash Gardner steps up once more as our CAPTAIN, primed to take us to glory,” GG tweeted.
🎺 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Experience in her stride.
Belief in her voice. ❤️🔥Ash Gardner steps up once more as our CAPTAIN, primed to take us to glory. 🧡✊#GujaratGiants #BringItOn #Adani #GameOnGujaratStrong #TATAWPL pic.twitter.com/peivWRCSBx
— Gujarat Giants (@Giant_Cricket) December 29, 2025
Ashleigh Gardner’s WPL career in a glimpse
In 25 WPL games for Gujarat Giants over the last three seasons, the great Australian all-rounder has amassed 567 runs and picked 25 wickets with the ball. Considered a true veteran of the format, Gardner has played 282 T20 matches in her career.
The 28-year-old cricketer has so far played for Australia, Gujarat Giants, Trent Rockets, and Sydney Sixers in franchise-level cricket globally. In such an illustrious career, he scored 5091 runs and picked 242 wickets, which is a huge landmark in women’s cricket.
In her first season as the captain of the Gujarat Giants, Ash Gardner led her team to the eliminators, but they were defeated by the Mumbai Indians. Recently, she was seen in the WBBL for the Sydney Sixers, where she finished with 143 runs and 19 wickets in 10 matches.
Gujarat Giants revamped their squad with major bids on former RCB players
The Giants, too, revamped their squad like many other franchises. However, in a shocking feat, they let go of their finest players, including Laura Wolvaardt, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, and Phoebe Litchfield.
Instead, the Giants’ management looked to invest heavily in former RCB cricketers. They went all out to bring in New Zealand veteran all-rounder Sophie Devine and Australian spinner Georgia Wareham. Wareham was one of the highest wicket-takers last season.
Furthermore, players like England’s Danny Wyatt and Mumbai Indians wicket-keeper Yastika Bhatia could strengthen their batting. Renuka Singh and Kanika Ahuja from RCB and newcomers Anushka Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad might all turn out to be crucial picks for the Giants.
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