Australian star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner has been officially named the captain of Gujarat Giants for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season. The fourth edition of the tournament will begin on January 9, 2026, with all matches scheduled to be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The Gujarat-based franchise confirmed the decision on Monday night via a post on X (formerly Twitter), reappointing Gardner as skipper ahead of the new season. The 28-year-old has been an integral part of the Giants since the inaugural WPL and continues to be one of the franchise’s most influential players.
Ashleigh Gardner returns as captain after breakthrough WPL season
Gardner has featured in 25 matches for Gujarat Giants across the last three seasons and was retained for INR 3.50 crore ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction, making her one of the highest-paid players in the league.
This will not be Gardner’s first stint as captain in the WPL. She led Gujarat Giants during the 2025 season, taking over from Beth Mooney and steering the team to the knockout stage for the first time in the franchise’s history.
Under her leadership, the Giants won four of their eight league matches, finished third on the points table, and qualified for the playoffs. Their campaign ended in the Eliminator, where they suffered a defeat against Mumbai Indians, but the season marked a turning point for the franchise.
Gardner brings vast experience to the Giants setup and is currently ranked fourth among all-rounders in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings. Across 282 T20 matches for teams including Australia, Gujarat Giants, Sydney Sixers, and Trent Rockets, she has scored 5,091 runs, taken 242 wickets, and claimed 102 catches.
The Australian all-rounder was last seen in action during the Women’s Big Bash League 2025, where she captained the Sydney Sixers. While she endured a quiet season with the bat, Gardner excelled with the ball, picking up 19 wickets to finish as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
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