Ashleigh Gardner’s extension as Gujarat Giants captain for Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 feels like the natural next step after she turned the franchise’s fortunes around last season. Retained for a hefty ₹3.5 crore, the Australian all-rounder stepped up in 2025 and dragged the Giants from the bottom of the table to their first-ever playoffs spot. It’s a story of grit, smarts, and a bit of that killer instinct she brings from Australia’s white-ball setup.
The Giants had a rough go in the first two WPL seasons, propping up the points table both times—last in 2023 under Sneh Rana and again in 2024 with Beth Mooney at the helm. They managed just four wins across 16 games, leaking runs and dropping catches like it was going out of fashion. Fans were starting to wonder if Ahmedabad’s backed side would ever click, but Gardner’s promotion to captaincy hinted at bigger plans.
Come WPL 2025, Gardner replaced Mooney as skipper to let the keeper-opener focus on her batting, and the move did pay off. She led the Giants to third place with four wins and four losses in the league stage, sneaking into the playoffs for the first time. Standout moments included a commanding six-wicket chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru—Gardner smashed 58 off 31—and an 81-run thrashing of UP Warriorz in Lucknow. Her calm under pressure rubbed off on a young squad mixing Indian talent with overseas firepower.
In that breakout WPL 2025 campaign, Gardner was the Giants’ top scorer with 243 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 164.18, including a blistering unbeaten 79 off 39 in the opener. She chipped in with eight wickets at an economy of 8.03, proving her off spin still bites. Across 25 WPL games for the franchise over three seasons, she’s been a consistent menace with bat and ball.
No surprise she’s thriving as a leader—Gardner’s T20I record screams class. In 96 matches, she piled up 1,411 runs at a strike rate of 127.69, with a high of 93, plus five fifties. Her bowling haul stands at 78 wickets at 20.64 apiece, including a best of 5/12; that’s the kind of X-factor that won Australia World Cups. She’s got that rare ability to switch from aggressor to anchor without missing a beat.
She has also scored 2750 runs in 138 WBBL innings with a highest score of 114 including 14 half-centuries. Gardner has also been a terrific performer in the WPL scoring 567 runs in 25 innings only including 5 half-centuries as well. With the ball, Gardner has been prolific picking up 121 WBBL scalps with best bowling figures of 5 for 15 and six 4-fers to her name. Gardner has also picked up 25 wickets in the WPL with best bowling figures of 3 for 31.
With Gardner continuing to lead the Giants—the first overseas player to retain the gig full-time—the team open their campaign against UP Warriorz on January 10 at DY Patil. Last season’s playoff run built real belief, and her retention signals they’re all-in. If she keeps leading from the front like she did in 2025, expect Ahmedabad to dream bigger than third place this time around.
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