India’s successful defense of their title, won two years ago under Shafali Verma’s leadership, was celebrated with uncontainable joy. As the final moments unfolded, the entire team ran onto the field, draped in the Indian flag, to celebrate their triumph.

Trisha’s aggressive start set the tone, smashing three fours in the first over and another three in the fourth over. South Africa’s Reyneke dismissed Kamalini, but India’s pursuit remained strong. Chalke, joining Trisha, played a stylish cover drive, pushing India past half the target during the powerplay. Trisha was dropped on 38, but the Indian team needed just 15 more runs to seal the victory. Chalke wrapped it up with a boundary in the 12th over, finishing the chase in style.

Trisha, who scored 309 runs in the tournament, was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament for her exceptional contributions.

Earlier, India’s spinners dominated the final, taking nine wickets among them to bowl South Africa out for just 82. Opting to bat first, South Africa struggled against India’s spin attack, and the decision backfired. Trisha took three wickets, while the left-arm spin trio of Parunika Sisodia, Aayushi Shukla, and Vaishnavi Sharma claimed two wickets each.

Trisha’s pivotal wickets, including that of South Africa’s captain Kayla Reyneke, ensured India kept the pressure on. Aayushi’s middle-stump removal of Karabo Meso left South Africa reeling at 44/5. The Proteas’ resistance, in the form of a 30-run stand from Fay Cowling and Mieke van Voorst, was short-lived, with Trisha taking two quick wickets to finish off their hopes. Vaishnavi cleaned up the tail, securing India’s dominant performance with a comprehensive win.

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The Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants aim to build a robust squad for the upcoming season with these strategic changes. “This move aims to build a robust squad for the coming season,” the franchise stated in its announcement.

New Coaching Additions

Daniel Marsh, an experienced former cricketer, has played for South Australia and Tasmania in Australian domestic cricket. With 11,447 runs across all formats, including 20 centuries, Marsh brings invaluable expertise to the team’s batting strategy. He also has prior coaching experience, having served as the Head Coach of Tasmania Men’s team (2013–2017) and Assistant Coach for the Australian Women’s Cricket Team in 2022.

“I am excited to be joining Gujarat Giants. I look forward to developing a fearless approach to our batting, with the aim of making our team one of the strongest batting units in the WPL,” Marsh said.

Tambe, who made headlines for his debut IPL performance at the age of 41 with Rajasthan Royals, has also coached IPL teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. In T20s, he has an impressive record of 70 wickets in 64 matches.

“Joining Gujarat Giants as the Bowling Coach is an exciting new chapter in my cricketing journey. I am eager to work with this talented group of players to sharpen their skills and help them excel,” Tambe stated.

Klinger’s Continued Leadership

Michael Klinger will continue to lead the team as head coach. With a rich coaching resume, including stints with Melbourne Renegades (BBL), Sydney Thunder (WBBL), and Manchester Originals Women’s team (The Hundred), Klinger remains committed to building a strong team ethos.

Reflecting on the team’s progress, Klinger said, “We laid solid groundwork last season, and I am excited to build on that with the talented players we have retained. Our focus remains on fostering a winning mindset and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve as a team.”

WPL 2025 Player Auction Details

The WPL 2025 player auction is set to take place on December 15 in Bengaluru. A total of 120 players will feature, including 91 Indian and 29 overseas players. Teams will compete to fill 19 slots, with five reserved for overseas players.

Prominent names in the auction include Deandra Dottin, Heather Knight, Lizelle Lee, Sneh Rana, and Poonam Yadav. England and Australia dominate the overseas player list, with eight and twelve players, respectively.

Gujarat Giants Retentions and Releases

Retained Players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Bharti Fulmali, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, Laura Wolvaardt, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh, Phoebe Litchfield, Priya Mishra, Sayali Satghare, Shabnam Shakil, and Tanuja Kanwer.

Released Players: Kathryn Bryce, Lauren Cheatle, Lea Tahuhu, Sneh Rana, Tarannum Pathan, Trisha Poojitha, and Veda Krishnamurthy.

Challenges Ahead

Despite their star-studded lineup, Gujarat Giants have struggled in past seasons, finishing last in both previous editions of the WPL with two wins and six losses each time. The team will be eager to turn their fortunes around in 2025 under the revamped coaching team and the leadership of Michael Klinger.

As Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by Smriti Mandhana, enter the new season as defending champions, all eyes will be on Gujarat Giants to see if they can overcome past hurdles and emerge as a formidable force.

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