Gujarat Giants appoint new batting, bowling coaches ahead of WPL 2025 auction

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], December 12 (ANI): Ahead of the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL) player auctions, Gujarat Giants on Thursday announced strategic changes to their coaching staff, with Pravin Tambe appointed as the new bowling coach and former Australian cricketer Daniel Marsh as the new batting coach.
Michael Klinger, the former Australian batter, will continue as the team's head coach, having joined last season.
In a statement, Gujarat Giants said, "Ahead of the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL) player auctions, Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants has announced strategic changes to their coaching staff. This move aims to build a robust squad for the coming season. Pravin Tambe will be their new bowling coach, and Daniel Marsh will be the new batting coach. Michael Klinger, who joined the team last season, will continue as head coach."
Daniel Marsh, now in charge of the team's batting, brings a wealth of experience. He has represented South Australia and Tasmania in Australian domestic cricket, scoring 11,447 runs across all formats, including 20 centuries. Marsh served as Head Coach of the Tasmania Men's team from 2013 to 2017 and was appointed Assistant Coach of the Australian Women's Cricket Team in 2022.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Marsh said, "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."
Tambe, celebrated for his remarkable IPL debut at the age of 41 with Rajasthan Royals in 2013, also brings significant coaching expertise. He has previously worked with IPL teams such as Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants.
"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," said Tambe. In 64 T20 matches, he has taken 70 wickets at an average of 22.35, with best figures of 4/15.
Klinger, with extensive coaching experience, has served as Head Coach for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League and the Sydney Thunder in the Women's Big Bash League. Earlier this year, he was named Head Coach of the Manchester Originals Women's team in The Hundred. As a player, the 44-year-old represented Australia in three T20Is in 2017, scoring 143 runs with a half-century. Across 206 T20s, he accumulated 5,956 runs at an average of 34.45, including eight centuries and 33 fifties.
"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. It is incredibly rewarding to see so many of our Gujarat Giants players representing India since last WPL season. This invaluable high-level experience will undoubtedly strengthen our squad for the upcoming season," Klinger said.
The WPL Player Auction List has been released, with the highly anticipated auction scheduled for December 15 in Bengaluru. This year's auction will feature 120 players, including 91 Indian and 29 overseas cricketers, with three of the latter from Associate Nations. Among the players, 82 are uncapped Indians, while eight are uncapped overseas players. The auction, set for a Sunday, will see teams filling 19 slots, including five for overseas players.
Prominent players listed at the highest reserve price of INR 50 lakh (approximately USD 60,000) include Deandra Dottin, Heather Knight (released by Royal Challengers Bangalore), and Lizelle Lee. Indian players Sneh Rana (released by Gujarat Giants), Poonam Yadav (released by Delhi Capitals), Shubha Satheesh (released by RCB), Tejal Hasabnis, and Mansi Joshi also stand out. Several notable overseas players will go under the hammer, including England's Lauren Bell, Maia Boucher, Sarah Glenn, and Sophia Dunkley, alongside Knight. England has the second-highest representation in the auction with eight players, behind Australia's twelve. Australian players Amanda-Jade Wellington, Alana King, Kim Garth, Laura Harris (released by Delhi Capitals), and Darcie Brown are also hoping to secure spots in the teams. Notably, Garth and South Africa's Nadine de Klerk bring prior WPL experience, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Gujarat Giants (GG)
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.
Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by Smriti Mandhana, are the defending champions, having triumphed over Delhi Capitals in the WPL 2024 final held in Delhi. Gujarat Giants finished last in both previous seasons, managing just two wins and six losses each time. (ANI)