The Gujarat Giants have again endorsed Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, selecting her captain for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season. Gardner will continue to lead the squad, extending her leadership role following her captaincy in the WPL 2025. The Aussie was retained for INR 3.50 crore ahead of the WPL 2026 major auction and will try to help the team win their first WPL title.
Gardner has been with the franchise since the league’s start in 2023. Under her guidance in WPL 2025, the Giants finished third in the points standings, winning four of eight matches and qualifying for the Eliminator. While the championship remained out of reach, the franchise showed signs of improvement, motivating management to re-sign Gardner for the 2026 season. The WPL 2026 season will begin on January 9, with Gujarat Giants against UP Warriorz on January 10 at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
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Ashleigh Gardner retained for INR 3.50 crore ahead of the WPL 2026
The all-rounder has been the Gujarat Giants’ best performer across seasons. In 25 WPL matches, she has scored 567 runs at an impressive strike rate of 141.75, including five half-centuries, while also picking up 25 wickets, making her the franchise’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker. WPL 2025 proved to be Gardner’s most productive season with the bat. She scored 243 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 164.18 and chipped in with eight wickets.
The franchise has further strengthened its squad for WPL 2026. At the mega auction, they secured names such as Sophie Devine for INR 2 crore, alongside Georgia Wareham and Danielle Wyatt. Core players Beth Mooney and Gardner were retained, while Kashvee Gautam and Bharti Fulmali were brought back using the Right to Match option. Among Indian players, Renuka Singh emerged as their biggest signing, with young talents like Titas Sadhu and Ayushi Soni added to the squad.
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