After making their first-ever playoffs last season, Gujarat Giants (GG) will be hoping to go the distance this time around in the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026) season and lift their maiden title. Ahead of the season, we bring you the Gujarat Giants WPL 2026 preview with all you need to know.
Ashleigh Gardner, who has led the team last year, will continue to be the captain. The franchise had to rebuild their squad in the mega auction, and they have done a reasonable job in building a formidable squad that can become title contenders.
Gujarat Giants retained only two players in skipper Ashleigh Gardner and wicketkeeper Beth Mooney, with a goal to overhaul the side. While they managed to buy back some players from last season like Bharti Fulmali, Tanuja Kanwer, Kashvee Gautam, GG also roped in a few big names like Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Renuka Singh and Kim Garth
Check out the full Gujarat Giants WPL 2026 squad:
Beth Mooney (wk), Sophie Devine, Bharti Fulmali, Yastika Bhatia, Ashleigh Gardner (c), Georgia Wareham, Kanika Ahuja, Ayushi Soni, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Titas Sadhu, Renuka Singh, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Kim Garth, Happy Kumari, Anushka Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Shivani Singh
Gujarat Giants will kick off their campaign with the season opener against UP Warriorz on January 10. They will play four league games in Navi Mumbai and another four in Vadodara. Here’s the full list of Gujarat Giants WPL 2026 fixtures:
| Date | Opposition | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 10 Jan 2026 | UP Warriorz | Navi Mumbai | 3:30 PM |
| 11 Jan 2026 | Delhi Capitals | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 13 Jan 2026 | Mumbai Indians | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 16 Jan 2026 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 19 Jan 2026 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Vadodara | 7:30 PM |
| 22 Jan 2026 | UP Warriorz | Vadodara | 7:30 PM |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Delhi Capitals | Vadodara | 7:30 PM |
| 30 Jan 2026 | Mumbai Indians | Vadodara | 7:30 PM |
Looking at the Mumbai Indians squad, their likely four overseas starters will be Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham. The Gujarat Giants best XI could look like:
Gujarat Giants have brought in some big names, like Sophie Devine and Renuka Singh and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, but striking the right team balance will be crucial.
Their biggest issue would be the middle and the lower middle order that does not have the experience. Players like Kanika Ahuja and Ayushi Soni will need to step up if Giants’ top-heavy batting falters. They also boast of a quality bowling attack with good variety, which should keep them competitive.
To conclude, the Giants have a good chance to reach the playoffs, but the title chances depend on how well Mooney and Gardner do with the bat.
The Gujarat Giants have a few star players that they will depend on heavily. Let’s take a look at the key players for Gujarat Giants WPL 2026 campaign.
The Aussie all-rounder will be crucial to GG’s chances for a trophy in WPL 2026. Apart from her captaincy, the Giants top-scorer from last season will need to do an encore while also delivering with the ball. The central figure in the Giants lineup, Gardner is also a strong hitter and ranks third for most sixes in WPL history with 26 maximums to her name.
Beth Mooney continues to be the Giants’ most consistent performer and a key pillar of their batting order. She enters the competition in excellent touch, having led the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL 2025-26) in runs with a tally of 549, including three half-centuries and a hundred, while averaging 45.75. Overall, last year, Mooney slammed 1340 from 36 T20 matches.
After making her T20I debut for India following impressive display in domestic circuit, Ayushi will now be gunning to earn her maiden cap in the IPL. Her recent form has also been impressive, highlighted by a performance in the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy where she amassed 160 runs across five innings, placing her second in the tournament’s run-scoring charts.
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