Gujarat Giants have appointed Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner as their captain for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. Gardner previously captained the franchise in WPL 2025. Under her leadership, the team reached the playoffs for the first time after finishing at the bottom of the table in the first two seasons. Gujarat had retained her along with Beth Mooney ahead of the mega auction in November.

Gardner was retained by Gujarat for Rs 3.50 crore

Gujarat had retained Gardner for ₹3.50 crore for the WPL 2026. Announcing the captaincy, Gujarat Giants wrote on X, “He has the experience, his voice is confident. Ash Gardner is our captain once again, ready to lead us to the title.”

Gardner leads Gustaves to playoffs
Gardner played 25 matches for the Gujarat Giants in the first three seasons, scoring 567 runs at a strike rate of 141.75. She also scored five half-centuries during this period and took 25 wickets at an economy rate of 8.34. Beth Mooney and Sneha Rana were the captains of the team in the first two seasons. The team’s performance was disappointing in both seasons. However, under Gardner’s captaincy, the Giants reached the playoffs in the third season, although they lost in the eliminator.

This time, Gardner will captain a team that includes other experienced Australian players like Kim Garth and Georgia Wareham. Established international names like Sophie Devine and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge are also part of the squad. The Gujarat Giants will begin their campaign against the UP Warriors on January 10 in Navi Mumbai.

Ashleigh Gardner’s record in international cricket

Gardner plays all three formats for Australia and is a key player. She has won the T20 World Cup three times. She has scored 325 runs and 28 wickets in seven Tests, 1654 runs and 111 wickets in 87 ODIs, and 1411 runs and 78 wickets in 96 T20 Internationals. She has scored three centuries and 17 half-centuries in international cricket.