From wooden spoonists to genuine contenders, Gujarat Giants enter the 4th edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) with a squad that finally looks built for sustained success, and the best possible XI that can challenge the established heavyweights.
Between 9 January and 5 February 2026, as the caravan moves from DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai to Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, Ashleigh Gardner’s Giants will lean on a carefully constructed core: retained pillars in skipper Gardner [3.5 CR], and wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney [2.5 CR], marquee additions like former White Ferns captain Sophie Devine [2 CR], England dasher Danielle Wyatt-Hodge [50 Lakhs], and India’s World Cup-winning “swing queen” Renuka Singh [60 Lakhs], plus a clutch of smart RTM. Value picks headlined by Titas Sadhu [30 Lakhs], Kashvee Gautam [65 Lakhs], Bharti Fulmali [70 Lakhs], and the returning spin duo of Georgia Wareham [1 CR], and Tanuja Kanwer [45 Lakhs], alongside resecuring the services of Kim Garth [50 Lakhs].
For two seasons, Gujarat’s story in the WPL was one of promise without payoff. They finished bottom of the table in both 2023 and 2024, collecting just 4 points each year with identical returns of 2 wins and 6 losses from 8 matches. The narrative shifted decisively in 2025. With Gardner taking over the captaincy from Mooney, the Giants found a more settled identity, winning 4 of their 8 league fixtures, doubling their points tally to 8, and climbing to 3rd place to secure a maiden playoff spot. Even though their campaign ended with a 47-run defeat to the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator, that breakthrough season provided a blueprint: a multi-dimensional captain in Gardner, Mooney’s stability at the top, and a bowling unit that could finally hold its own in crunch moments.
This article dissects that rebuilt roster to identify the Giants’ best possible XI for WPL 2026, balancing overseas firepower, Indian depth, conditions across both venues, and the franchise’s evolution from back-to-back wooden spoons in 2023 and 2024 to a first-ever playoff berth in 2025 under Gardner’s leadership.
Gujarat Giants’ Squad for WPL 2026:
Ashleigh Gardner (C), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Bharti Fulmali, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shivani Singh (wk), Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Kashvee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwer, Ayushi Soni, Anushka Sharma, Titas Sadhu, Renuka Singh, Happy Kumari, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Beth Mooney (wk)
Best Possible Playing 11 for Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026:
1] Sophie Devine
Sophie Devine’s arrival at Gujarat Giants for WPL 2026 feels like a masterstroke of timing. The 36-year-old White Ferns powerhouse, who spent her first three WPL seasons with Royal Challengers Bangalore, brings proven power-hitting and all-round nous to Beth Mooney’s opening partner slot. Picked up for 2 CR at the mega auction on 27 November 2025, Devine returns after sitting out the 2025 edition to prioritise her mental health following professional advice, a decision that underscores her maturity and now fuels her comeback.
In 18 innings for RCB across those two active seasons, she amassed 402 runs at a strike rate of 153.43 and an average of 23.64, including two half-centuries that rank her as the franchise’s 4th highest run-scorer to date. With the ball, she claimed 9 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 29.77 and an economy of 8.37, numbers that hint at her potential to exploit powerplay and death overs alike. For the Giants, pairing her explosive starts with Mooney’s anchoring could finally unlock the top-order dominance that eluded them in prior seasons, setting the tone across DY Patil’s bounce and Kotambi’s slower surfaces. Besides her all-round prowess, she adds a truckload of leadership experience to the core, the credentials that were instrumental in guiding the White Ferns to their maiden T20I World Cup triumph in 2024 in the UAE.
2] Beth Mooney (wk)
Beth Mooney remains Gujarat Giants’ batting heartbeat, and for WPL 2026, she welcomes a firepower upgrade at the top. The 31-year-old Australian wicketkeeper-batter, retained for 2.5 CR, stands as the franchise’s 2nd highest run-scorer with 522 runs at a strike rate of 133.84 and an average of 37.28 across 18 innings, featuring 5 half-centuries that showcase her class under pressure. Absent from the 2023 inaugural edition due to injury in the opener against Mumbai Indians (where South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt deputised across three seasons before her mega auction move to Delhi Capitals on 27 November 2025), Mooney has since been indispensable with bat and gloves.
Now opening alongside Sophie Devine, a marked evolution from the Wolvaardt partnership, Mooney’s poise pairs perfectly with the Kiwi’s aggression, promising explosive starts tailored to DY Patil’s pace and Kotambi’s grip. Her glovework behind the stumps will be pivotal too, steadying a seam-heavy attack while anchoring innings that propel the Giants beyond last season’s playoff promise.
3] Bharti Fulmali
Bharti Fulmali steps up from middle-order finisher to No. 3 linchpin for Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026, carrying the weight of greater responsibility with proven credentials. The 31-year-old, who joined as a replacement for injured Harleen Deol in the 2024 edition, has since delivered 197 runs at a blistering strike rate of 151.53 and an average of 49.25 across 7 innings, capped by a half-century in 9 matches that showcased her explosive version as well as calm and composed temperament under pressure.
Moving from the chaos of the middle order to the innings-shaping role at 3, Fulmali slots seamlessly behind Mooney-Devine opens, blending stability with acceleration to exploit powerplays and rebuild after early jolts. Her RTM retention at 70 Lakhs signals Giants’ trust in her maturity to bridge top and middle order across Navi Mumbai’s bounce and Vadodara’s turn, a promotion primed to elevate last season’s promise into consistent firepower.
4] Ashleigh Gardner (C)
Ashleigh Gardner embodies Gujarat Giants’ transformation at No. 4, where her all-round mastery and captaincy will drive WPL 2026 ambitions. The 28-year-old Australian, who succeeded Beth Mooney as skipper and steered the side to its maiden playoff berth in 2025, reigns as the franchise’s leading run-scorer with 567 runs at a strike rate of 141.75 and average of 24.65 across 25 innings, including 5 half-centuries. Her 2025 impact was seismic: 243 runs at 164.18 strike rate and 30.37 average in decisive knocks that powered the knockout breakthrough.
With the ball, Gardner leads the franchise attack too, claiming 25 wickets at 27.20 average and 8.34 economy over 25 innings and matches. At 4, she’ll stabilise after the top-order blitz while marshalling a spin trio alongside returning compatriot Georgia Wareham and Tanuja Kanwer, her off-spin calibrated for DY Patil’s carry and Kotambi’s grip, blending leadership with match-winning bite to propel the Giants deeper than ever.
5] Ayushi Soni
Ayushi Soni arrives at No. 5 for Gujarat Giants as a fresh-faced X-factor, injecting domestic promise into WPL 2026’s high-stakes cauldron. The 25-year-old Delhi batter, once hailed by Harmanpreet Kaur at age 20 as a talent with serious potential, made her India T20I debut against South Africa at Lucknow on 23rd March 2021. However, she didn’t get the opportunity to bat.
She has since honed her craft relentlessly. Her recent form screams readiness: 160 runs across five innings in the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy, finishing second on the run charts. Poised for a WPL debut, Soni slots behind Gardner to accelerate the middle overs, blending her steady domestic evolution with explosive upside tailored for DY Patil’s true pace and Kotambi’s variable bounce. In a lineup craving Indian middle-order depth, her hunger to seize the platform could prove the spark that ignites the Giants’ title push.
6] Kanika Ahuja
Kanika Ahuja graduates to No. 6 for Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026, transforming from RCB squad player to elevated all-round utility. The 23-year-old, picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2023 inaugural auction, maximised limited chances with 179 runs at a strike rate of 126.95 and an average of 16.27 across 12 innings and 15 matches; she also snared 3 wickets at 24 average and 8 economy in 5 innings. Snapped up at the 27 November 2025 mega auction, she arrives primed for regular deployment with both bat and ball.
At 6, Ahuja bridges finishing fireworks and bowling flexibility, her off-spin nous complementing the pacers while her batting adds middle-order muscle, a value steal at 30 Lakhs set to flourish under Gardner’s guidance across both venues.
7] Georgia Wareham
Georgia Wareham’s return to Gujarat Giants at No. 7 reunites a potent spin engine for WPL 2026, blending her leg-spin guile with lower-order bite. The 26-year-old Australian, who featured in two 2023 inaugural edition matches for the Giants (snaring 1 wicket and scoring 30 runs at 15 average), fetched up at Royal Challengers Bengaluru for 2024-25, where she became the joint-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps at 25.63 average and 8.51 economy across 18 innings and matches, levelling Shreyanka Patil.
Career stats scream value: 234 runs at 136.04 strike rate and 23.40 average in 14 innings over 20 matches; 20 wickets at 26.05 average and 8.63 economy. Bought back for 1 CR at the 27 November 2025 auction, Wareham partners skipper Ashleigh Gardner, Tanuja Kanwer, and Kanika Ahuja to form a versatile spin quartet, her wickets-in-pressure prowess primed for Kotambi’s turn, while handy cameos at 7 bolster batting depth.
8] Kashvee Gautam
Kashvee Gautam cements her star rise at No. 8 for Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026, evolving from 2025 breakout bowler to genuine finishing all-rounder. The 22-year-old sensation bought for an uncapped record of 2 CR ahead of 2024 (retained via RTM at 65 Lakhs for this edition), lit up her WPL debut last season as the Giants’ leading wicket-taker and joint-6th overall (alongside Shikha Pandey) with 11 scalps at 18.18 average and elite 6.45 economy across 9 innings and matches. Her bat flickered too: 43 runs at 110.25 strike rate and 10.75 average in 5 innings.
Elevated for bigger finishing duties, Gautam pairs with Renuka Singh and Titas Sadhu in a dynamic pace trio, primed for powerplay strikes, middle-over control, and lower-order cameos that stretch innings deep, amplifying the Giants’ seam depth across both venues.
9] Tanuja Kanwer
Tanuja Kanwer anchors Gujarat Giants’ tail at No. 9 in WPL 2026, her left-arm spin forming the bedrock of a revitalised attack. The 27-year-old has been a model of consistency since the 2023 inaugural edition, ranking as the franchise’s 2nd-highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps at 29.43 average and 7.94 economy across 25 innings and matches. Her batting adds tail-end value too: 114 runs at 91.93 strike rate and 10.36 average in 13 innings.
Retained at 45 Lakhs for her 4th orange season, Kanwer’s control complements Gardner and Wareham in the spin department, thriving on Kotambi’s grip while her lower-order cameos extend innings, a vital Indian cog turning Giants’ bowling from promising to predatory.
10] Titas Sadhu
Titas Sadhu ignites Gujarat Giants’ tail at No. 10 in WPL 2026, her raw pace and consistency set for a consistent spotlight after limited Delhi Capitals cameos. The 21-year-old snared 4 wickets at 31.50 average and 8.40 economy across 7 innings and matches for Delhi in recent seasons, but now joins via the 27 November 2025 mega auction at 30 Lakhs, hungry to explode on the big stage. Her international pedigree dazzles: Player of the Match in the 2023 ICC Women’s Under-19 World Cup final with a match-winning spell, as India’s lone pacer under Shafali Verma claimed inaugural honours.
Elevated for regular opportunities, Sadhu partners Renuka Singh and Kashvee Gautam in a fearsome pace battery, her T20I promise primed for powerplay breakthroughs and death over menace, turning the Giants’ seam unit into a venue-versatile weapon.
11] Renuka Singh
Renuka Singh Thakur completes Gujarat Giants’ pace renaissance as a lead attack spearhead for WPL 2026, her swing mastery filling a glaring powerplay void. The 30-year-old “Swing Queen” of India arrives from Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where she ranks 5th on their all-time wicket charts with 13 scalps at 46 average and 8.34 economy across 23 innings and matches, snapped up for 60 Lakhs at the 27 November 2025 mega auction. Yet to hit peak rhythm in prior WPL stints, her lethal new-ball movement promises early breakthroughs that eluded Giants across seasons, especially the last two.
Partnering Kashvee Gautam and Titas Sadhu, Renuka’s early wickets will unlock middle-over control and death-overs bite, transforming a historically seam-weak unit into DY Patil’s pace-friendly and Kotambi’s seam-responsive weapon. Her arrival slots as the puzzle’s missing piece, swing artistry poised to propel Gardner’s side beyond the playoffs.
Gujarat Giants, led by skipper Ashleigh Gardner, would be keen to build on their momentum from their maiden appearance in the knockout stages of the tournament in the previous edition of the tournament. The Giants will kick start their campaign in the upcoming 4th edition of the tournament on 10th January 2026 against the UP Warriorz led by the new skipper Meg Lanning at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, in the first game of the first double-header day of the tournament from 3:30 PM IST.
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