NEW DELHI: Women's Premier League (WPL) is gearing up for its third season, and teams are making strategic decisions regarding their player retentions and releases. Gujarat Giants (GG) and UP Warriorz (UPW) have announced their respective lists of released players ahead of the upcoming WPL 2025 auction.
For Gujarat Giants, the notable releases include India's off-spin all-rounder Sneh Rana, who captained the team in the inaugural season, and New Zealand pacer Lea Tahuhu.
Additionally, Scotland skipper Kathryn Bryce, Australian pacer Lauren Cheatle, Indian spinner Mannat Kashyap, batter Veda Krishnamurthy, and uncapped all-rounder Tarannum Pathan have been let go. GG's head coach, Michael Klinger, cited the need for improvements and tough decisions as the rationale behind these releases.
On the other hand, UP Warriorz have released England pacer Lauren Bell, uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Laxmi Yadav, and the Indian U19 Women's T20 World Cup-winning duo of pacer S Yashasri and leg-spinner Parshavi Chopra. They had earlier traded England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Both teams have retained their core players, with GG keeping captain Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, and others. UPW has retained skipper Alyssa Healy, Grace Harris, Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Chamari Athapaththu, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Ecclestone, and several promising Indian talents.
As the WPL 2025 auction approaches, UPW will have a purse of Rs 3.9 crore, while GG will have Rs 4.4 crore to invest in new players. These strategic decisions reflect the teams' efforts to build a balanced and competitive squad for the upcoming season, aiming to improve their performances and challenge for the coveted WPL title.
WPL 2025 Gujarat Giants Retention ListGujarat Giants: Beth Mooney, Laura Wolvaardt Phoebe Litchfield, Ashleigh Gardner, Harleen Deol, Dayalan Hemalatha, Tanuja Kanwer, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh, Shabnam Shakil, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Sayali Satghare
Released players: Sneh Rana, Lea Tahuhu, Kathryn Bryce, Trisha Poojitha, Tarannum Pathan, Veda Krishnamurthy
Remaining slots: 4
Purse Remaining: Rs 4.4 crore