Mumbai, Jan 5 : As the countdown to the Womenâ??s Premier League (WPL) 2026 begins, the Gujarat Giants are blending preparation with perspective. On Monday, the Adani Sportsline-owned franchise visited the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai to seek blessings ahead of the new season, which gets underway on January 9 in Navi Mumbai.

Head coach Michael Klinger and bowling coach Pravin Tambe were joined by players Tanuja Kanwar, Bharti Fulmali, and Ayushi Soni, along with Video Analyst Saurabh Walkar and Sanjay Adesara, chief business officer, Adani Sportsline, at the temple. The visit marked a quiet moment of reflection as the team sharpened its focus for the campaign ahead.

Currently in Mumbai for their pre-season camp, the Giants are fine-tuning combinations and settling into rhythm ahead of what promises to be a demanding season. Having reached the WPL playoffs for the first time last year, the emphasis this time is on building momentum early and sustaining it through the tournament.

Gujarat Giants face UP Warriorz in their WPL 2026 opener on Saturday, January 10, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The side will look to build on last seasonâ??s momentum as it sets its sights on a title challenge.

Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner will continue to lead the franchise in the upcoming season of the Womenâ??s Premier League (WPL). Gardner, a three-time T20 Womenâ??s World Cup winner, assumed the captaincy at the franchise from Australian teammate Beth Mooney last season. Under her leadership, Gujarat Giants reached the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

â??Experience in her stride. Belief in her voice. Ash Gardner steps up once more as our CAPTAIN, primed to take us to glory,â?? the Giants shared on its social media.

Since WPLâ??s inception in 2023, Gardner has been an integral part of the Gujarat Giants side, scoring 568 runs and bagging 25 wickets in 25 games. She was one of the two players, the other being Beth Mooney, for Rs. 2.5 crore, retained by the Giants before the WPL 2026 Auction for Rs. 3.5 crore.

Last season, Gardner hogged the limelight with her consistent all-round performances. Batting in the middle-order, Gardner finished as our leading run-scorer in the tournament with 243 runs in nine matches at an impressive strike rate of 164.18, while also maintaining an average of 30.37.

The Aussie allrounder also contributed with her right-arm off-spin and claimed eight wickets at an economy of 8.03. The skipper claimed the Most Sixes award with 18 maximums to her name.

/IANS