WPL 2024: Gujarat Giants ahead of the Women’s Premier League in 2023 had assembled one of the finest outfits with the perfect blend of players- Indian and international players, yet they had a very forgettable first season with not a lot to write home. In their eight league matches, they ended up losing six matches and winning just the first match.
Perhaps, they were off to an inauspicious start in the league losing to the Mumbai Indians by a massive margin of 143 runs that derailed their campaign massively and with an injury to their skipper Beth Mooney was far from ideal. They would be entering the 2024 mini auctions with a positive mindset and an attempt to re-strategise to put up a better show.
![Time for redemption. [Image: Getty]](https://www.womenscricinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/gg.jpg "WPL 2024: The Ultimate Guide To Gujarat Giants (GG) Ahead Of The Auction For Women’s Premier League 2024 1")
- Retained Players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwer
- Released Players: Annabel Sutherland*, Ashwani Kumari, Georgia Wareham, Hurley Gala, Kim Garth, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Sabbineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley, Sushma Verma
Gujarat Giants will now be entering the auction pool of WPL 2024 with a sum of Rs. 5.95 Crores, the highest purse money. They will enter the auction with 10 available slots and 3 overseas slots to fill up.
Our lionesses are back and ready to roar! 🧡🤩
Presenting our retained #Giants for WPL Season 2. 🙌🏻#GujaratGaints #Cricket #BringItOn #Adani pic.twitter.com/asBEuKkLFg
— Gujarat Giants (@Giant_Cricket) October 19, 2023
With the retained core, let us delve into the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis to understand this better
Strengths
One of the strengths that the Gujarat Giants possess is that they have some of the finest international players in Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt who not only lend a lot of experience but infuse a lot of confidence in the squad. With the retention of Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol and Sneh Rana, Gujarat Giants have the best domestic picks who also have experience playing international cricket.
Weaknesses
They have a lot of areas to build on considering they released a plethora of players ahead of the auctions. With over 13 players to be added to the roster of their squad, they will need to amp up across departments to function as a well-oiled unit on all fronts.
Opportunities
This season presents itself as the perfect opportunity for Gujarat Giants to come up with a fresh and renewed strategy, execute it at the auctions and see the fruits of their labour unfold at the auctions.
Threats
The looming threats of the more settled teams like Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals will continue to be a concern for them and not being able to get the combination right at the auctions could threaten their campaign.
READ MORE: WPL 2024: The Ultimate Guide To Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Ahead Of The Auction For Women’s Premier League 2024
A season filled with ups and downs, but our 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 remained on🔝! 🧡#GiantArmy, here's a round-up of our inaugural #WPL campaign! 🎥📸#WPL2023 #TATAWPL #GujaratGiants #BringItOn pic.twitter.com/aNlejyDvmB
— Gujarat Giants (@GujaratGiants) March 29, 2023
What they will need to cover at the WPL 2024 auctions?
With over 10+ available spots, and one overseas player slot left GG can aspire to acquire the services of:
- Batting department: GG will look to solidify their batting. Bolstered by the presence of Beth Mooney coming from another strong season of the WBBL, Laura Wolvaardt is also a mainstay in that line-up but they will need some more batters to fill up crucial spots and strengthen the batting.
- Bowling department: GG will also need some impetus in the bowling department as the wholesale release of Hurley Gala, Kim Garth, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, and Parunika Sisodia will be a gaping hole they will look to fill with bowlers of skill and finesse.
- All-rounders: In a surprising move, when GG released Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham, took everyone aback but they will certainly need to acquire the right all-rounders to compensate and seek the appropriate like-for-like replacements.
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