New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Ahead of WPL 2025 auctions, the Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants have announced that Pravin Tambe and Daniel Marsh have joined their coaching staff as bowling and batting coaches, respectively.
In first two seasons of the WPL, the Giants amassed just four points on both occasions to finish at last position on the points table. The franchise also said former India captain Mithali Raj has moved on from being their mentor-cum-advisor, a role which she served in for the first two seasons.
In November, Mithali was appointed as the mentor of Women’s Cricket Operations by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) on a three-year contract. “Mithali Raj, with her recent commitment to the Andhra Cricket Association, transitions to a new chapter in her journey. Gujarat Giants deeply values her contributions, leadership, and vision, and extends warm wishes for success in her future endeavours,” said the franchise in its post on X.
Tambe, known for being oldest IPL debutant at 41, has previously been in coaching staff of teams such as Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. He replaces Nooshin Al Khadeer, who is currently serving as the head coach of the India Under-19 women’s team.
“Joining Gujarat Giants as the Bowling Coach is an exciting new chapter in my cricketing journey. I’m eager to work with this talented group of players to sharpen their skills and help them excel,” he said in a statement.
On the other hand, Marsh, who comes in as the batting coach, brings a wealth of experience, after previously working as head coach of the Tasmania Men’s team from 2013 to 2017, before being Australia women’s assistant coach in 2022.
“I’m 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 of the WPL,” said Marsh, who represented Tasmania, South Australia and Leicestershire in his playing days and is the son of Rod Marsh.
The team has retained Michael Klinger, who joined them for WPL 2024, as their new head coach. Earlier this year, Klinger was announced as head coach of the Manchester Originals women’s team in The Hundred.
“We laid solid groundwork last season, and I’m excited to build on that with the talented players we have retained in the squad. 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,” he said.
Gujarat Giants retained players like 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.
At the same time, they released the services of Kathryn Bryce, Lauren Cheatle, Lea Tahuhu, Sneh Rana, Tarannum Pathan, Trisha Poojitha, and Veda Krishnamurthy. The WPL 2025 auction will be held on December 15 in Bengaluru, with the Giants’ having INR 4.4 crore in their kitty, and have to fill four slots, including two overseas spots.
–IANS
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