Gujarat Giants reshaped their roster at the WPL 2026 auction, holding on to Beth Mooney while breaking the bank with a INR 2 crore move for Sophie Devine and bringing in Renuka Singh Thakur to bolster their bowling options. Aakash Chopra, Veda Krishnamurthy and Saba Karim weighed in on GG’s broader auction strategy.
Aakash Chopra pointed to GG’s selection headache after the auction, arguing the squad doesn’t have enough certainty as the team may have to choose between Georgia Wareham and Kim Garth in the playing XI. That limitation, he said, could leave them scrambling to get the right balance.
“Gujarat Giants can only fit in one of Georgia Wareham or Kim Garth in their XI, and that’s where the problem starts because they need extra batting punch. If you compare them to Mumbai, Delhi, UP or RCB, sides that have one or two established Indian batters locked into the top four or five, Gujarat don’t have that same certainty. Yastika Bhatia is coming back from injury and isn’t an automatic pick ahead of Richa Ghosh, which leaves her in a tough spot. After that it’s Bharti Fulmali, so the batting looks light. So you end up leaving Garth out and playing Wareham to bolster the batting, because if you don’t, the lineup can fall apart.”
Veda Krishnamurthy spoke positively about Gujarat Giants’ auction approach, stressing the credentials of their overseas signings. She identified Mooney as the point of stability at the top, Gardner as the heartbeat in the middle, and Devine as the flexible fit that improves balance.
“Gujarat Giants look solid with Beth Mooney at the top after a prolific season, and Ash Gardner was outstanding as captain at No. 4 last year. What they really needed was to nail the combination, and Sophie Devine gives them that flexibility. They’ve also got plenty of bowling resources and added experience, with Renuka Singh Thakur set to take the new ball. They kept their powder dry for most of the auction, played the waiting game, and then landed the right targets, which has left them with a well-rounded squad,” Veda Krishnamurthy said.
Karim pointed out that Gujarat Giants finished the auction on a high, overcoming early missteps to secure a well-stocked pace department.
“At the start, they looked a bit all over the place at the auction, but they finished strongly with some smart picks. Their pace group now looks well stocked with Indian options like Kashvee Gautam and Titas Sadhu, alongside the proven experience of Renuka Singh. Up top and through the middle, there’s plenty of firepower with Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner, and the spin resources also look in good shape, making this a pretty solid squad overall,” Karim Said.
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