Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner has been appointed as the captain of the Gujarat Giants for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025. Gardner has replaced fellow national team-mate Beth Mooney as the skipper of the Gujarat based franchise.
The decision to change the captain comes after two bad seasons for the Gujarat Giants. They have finished with the wooden spoon two seasons in a row.
Notably, Gardner was one of the Giants best performers over two seasons scoring 324 runs and bagging 17 wickets across the WPL. The No. 1-ranked all rounder in ICC’s ODI rankings said that she was excited to lead the team in WPL 2025.
“It is an absolute honour for me to be named the captain of Gujarat Giants. I have loved being a part of this team and I am excited to lead this fantastic group in the upcoming season. We have a great mix of young and experienced players and plenty of Indian talent in our squad. I am looking forward to working with the team and making our fans proud,” Gardner said.
Meanwhile, head coach Michael Klinger said he is looking forward to working with Gardner and he called her a fierce competitor.
“She is a fierce competitor. Her game awareness, tactical acumen, and ability to inspire players make her the ideal choice to captain Gujarat Giants. We believe she will lead from the front and guide the team towards a successful campaign,” he said.
The head coach also revealed that Mooney will continue to have a leadership role within the team.
“I would like to thank Mooney for her highly valued leadership. Now, she will be able to focus on wicketkeeping and opening the batting lineup. She continues to be a major leader of our group,” said Klinger.
Ahead of the auction for WPL 2025, Giants have rejigged their support staff with assistant coach Nooshin Al Khadeer and mentor Mithali Raj parting ways. Australia assistant coach Daniel Marsh joined as the batting coach while Pravin Tambe is the bowling coach.
