WPL Auction 2024: With Biggest Auction Purse, Here's Who Gujarat Could Target

With the biggest auction purse, here's a look at who Gujarat Giants could target in the WPL auction 2024.

Gujarat Giants - Team Profile

• Players Retained: 8

• Total Slots Available: 10

• Overseas Slots Available: 3

• Purse Remaining: INR 5.95 crores

• Previous Season: 5th Place Finish (Last)

Gujarat Giants finished last in the previous WPL season and that pretty much explains why they have released 11 players in the off season- the highest among all 5 franchises heading into this auction. They also have the highest purse remaining among all franchises but they need to fill the most number of slots as well.

Areas Sorted - Solid Top five

One good thing about their retained list of players is that they already have a solid set of top five batters. Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt form a highly experienced opening pair. Harleen Deol performed well in the No.3 role last season and she is expected to play that role for her side once again in this edition

Ashleigh Gardner and Dayalan Hemlatha floated between No. 4 and 6, depending on the situation, giving impetus to their innings consistently. While Gardner recorded an impressive strike rate of 141.66, Hemlatha did even better with an outstanding strike-rate of 157.29. So, their batting lineup is pretty much sorted. Now they need to address the following areas to build a competitive squad for the upcoming season.

What do they need heading into the WPL 2024 Auction?

Quality backup Wicketkeeper-batter

This is an area where the Giants struggled last season. Beth Mooney's injury forced them to play Sushma Verma as their primary wicket-keeper. While she performed well in her role behind the wicket, her batting returns were slim. She amassed only 42 runs in her lower middle-order role and that too at a dismal strike-rate of 79.24. So, it's not surprising why they opted to offload her from their squad. Thankfully, Mooney is fit to play this season, but they have to be prepared for the worst. So, they will be targeting a wicket-keeper who is a quality batter now.

Options: Amy Jones, Bess Heath, Uma Chetry

While there are other options available in this category, the Giants will be keen on acquiring at least one of these players.

Amy Jones needs no introduction. The experienced England international is a quality keeper and has amassed 1350 T20I runs at a good strike-rate of 122.28. She is capable of batting anywhere in the top five, which makes her quite versatile.

Bess Heath is another name that will attract some bids in this auction. Although she is yet to make big waves at the international stage, she has shown what she can do with the bat in the WBBL. Batting at No.3, she smashed 51 off just 26 deliveries in the match between Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes last month.

If they don't get hold of any of these international players, the Giants have to go all guns out for Uma Chetry. The 21-year-old from Assam recently got picked to play for India A and she also smashed two quick-fire 20s at the top of the order against a quality England A bowling unit.

Experienced Overseas Lead Pacer

They did a pretty neat job at getting Kim Garth in the last WPL Auction. Looking at her overall stats, she repaid the faith claiming 11 wickets at an average of 17.54. But that includes a five-wicket haul in one match. If you remove that, she has six wickets in as many games at an average of 26.16. These aren't impressive numbers by any means, and doesn't justify her high price tag as well. So, the Giants have offloaded her and will be looking at more experienced and better options in this auction.

Options: Shabnim Ismail, Lea Tahuhu, Lauren Cheatle

Shabnim Ismail doesn't need any kind of introduction. She has risen up to the top of the ICC rankings for bowlers many times and has 123 T20I wickets to her name at an excellent average of 18.62. She us brilliant with the new ball and equally good at the death. Moreover, her experience makes her a dependable bowler in crunch situations. That's why the Giants should try everything possible to acquire her services.

Lea Tahuhu is another experienced bowler they can target. The 33-year-old has 78 T20I wickets to her name at an average of 19.05. Like Ismail, she is pretty good with the new ball.

She might not be as good at the death but her experience and quality with the new ball makes her the second best option.

If Gujarat do not manage to get hold of any of these two bowlers somehow, they should look to seal the services of the 25-year-old Australian uncapped pacer Lauren Cheatle. She brings the rare left-arm angle into the equation and is coming into this auction on the back of a brilliant WBBL season, where she claimed 21 wickets at 17.23 runs a piece.

Second Pacer

This is an area where the Giants struggled massively last season. Kim Garth had no support for her at the other end as the likes of Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel and Ashwani Kumari struggled big time. That's why all of them have been released heading into this auction, where they will look at fresh and better options.

Options: Simran Bahadur, Kashvee Gautam, Komal Zanzad

Number 1 on their list for this role will be Simran Bahadur. Renowned for her dynamic performances in the domestic arena, the talented 23-year-old bowling all-rounder aims to make a mark in the upcoming IPL auctions. With an impressive track record, including six T20Is and an ODI for India, Bahadur's prowess lies in her consistent displays and ability to deliver under pressure. Her unbeaten 20 off 10 balls during the Women’s T20 Challenge showcases her potential as a valuable asset for any franchise seeking a bowler who can add batting value down the order. Despite going unsold previously, Bahadur has set a base price of Rs 30 lakh in this auction. The Giants will need to fight hard to acquire her services this time.

Kashvee Gautam, the 20-year-old rising star, emerges as a promising force as well. Gautam's recent standout display in the Senior Women’s T20 tournament for Chandigarh, claiming 12 wickets and contributing 112 runs, has garnered attention. Notably, her inclusion in the North Zone squad and securing a hat-trick further underscores her potential. Gautam's stints with the Emerging Asia Cup team and India A against England A add to her growing reputation. Positioned at a base price of Rs 10 lakh, Gautam's skill set and recent exploits position her as an enticing prospect. If the Giants don't get hold of Bahadur, they need to know this is where they should look at.

Komal Zanzad is the third option Gujarat should have a look at if everything goes wrong with the first two options. The left-arm pacer from Vidarbha was picked up by RCB last season for INR 25 Lakhs but played only one match for them. She is pretty experienced in the domestic circuit and will add a lot of value to their side. In the recent Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, she picked up six wickets in as many matches at an economy rate of less than six.

Lead Spinner

This is again one of the areas where they struggled a lot. Ashleigh Gardner eased things up a lot with her spin bowling last season but the absence of a quality Indian spinner in their ranks

was clearly visible. Gujarat Giants should look to address this issue and ease the load on Gardner this season by acquiring some quality spinners in the auction.

Options: Devika Vaidya, Ekta Bisht, Sonam Yadav

Devika Vaidya is the best option for this slot as she bowls quality wrist spin and can bat as well. She has already represented India in 17 T20Is and 12 ODIs, claiming a total of 22 wickets in the two formats combined. She has also amassed a total of 269 international runs, including an ODI fifty. That sums up how good an asset she is.

Apart from her, the ever experienced Ekta Bisht is also a top choice for this position. She has represented India in 42 T20Is and has picked up 53 wickets at a brilliant average of 14.71. Being 37 years old, age may not be on her side but her recent exploits in domestic cricket suggest otherwise. She claimed 15 wickets in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy recently, at just 12.06 runs a piece.

Sonam Yadav is another name that has impressed in this Women’s T20 Trophy. She is just 16 years old but claimed 13 wickets in the tournament at an average of 8.38. She may be young but the youngster has already shown that she is a quality left-arm spinner.