WPL: Gujarat's blueprint for the auction

As the Women’s Premier League resets itself for a new cycle, the Gujarat Giants find themselves in a familiar but delicate place.

- Samreen Razzaqui

Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger.

Armed with a sizable purse of 89 crore — the second most for a team —and buoyed by last season's playoff run, they are conscious that the mega-auction on November 27 is their opportunity to change fortunes.

For head coach Michael Klinger, the team’s culture is nonnegotiable and in retaining the Australian duo Beth Mooney and ‘Ash Gardner, they have also reinforced continuity that they have worked hard to build.

“Our retention decisions focused on maintaining consistency and team chemistry while aligning with our long-term goals,” he told HT. “We had a strong playoff run last season and we want to build on that momentum to pursue the title this year. Retaining players who consistently perform and demonstrate the right attitude both on and off the field helps us foster a winning culture, which is critical for success.”

While teams follow different scouting strategies, Giants focus on data and analytics but also strike a balance with the eye test and intuition.