WPL: Gujarat Giants Appoint New Coaches for the Inaugural Season

Gujarat Giants have roped in Rachael Haynes, Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe, and Gavan Twining in the coaching staff for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) likely to start next month with five teams taking part in the tournament. Last week, the Giants announced the signing of former Indian captain Mithali Raj as their mentor and advisor for WPL 2023. 

Haynes, who announced her retirement from international cricket last September, has been appointed head coach of the Adani Sportsline’s Gujarat Giants. Former Indian women’s team head coach Tushar Arothe will be the team’s batting coach with Nooshin Al Khadeer assisting Haynes as bowling coach. Joining them will be Australia’s Gavan Twining, who will look after the fielding department.

The introduction of the BCCI-managed WPL drew a lot of appreciation from each corner of the world, as it is something that has been in the talks for a while now.  Earlier this year, the record-breaking bidding process for the teams was held in which Adani Sportsline emerged as the highest bidder, shelling out a whopping Rs 1,289 crore and acquiring the Ahmedabad-based franchise Gujarat Giants. Indian Sports secured the Mumbai franchise, while Royal Challengers Bangalore secured the team from Bangalore. Delhi Capitals’ owner JSW GMR Cricket and Capri Global bought the other teams from Delhi and Lucknow, respectively.

WPL: Mithali Welcomes Haynes and Other Members of the Coaching Staff

“The likes of Rachael Haynes, Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe, and Gavan Twining will certainly take the performance of the team notches up. Not only have they carved a niche for themselves in their roles, but their stories of resilience will be an inspiration for the team. Their combined strengths will enable Gujarat Giants to give their best performance on the ground at the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League, which will inspire several aspiring women athletes,” said Mithali Raj on new recruitments.

On the appointment of the new coaching team, the head of the Adani Sportsline- Satyam Trivedi said: “The Women’s Premier League will be a game-changer and we are thrilled to have a phenomenal team of coaches for Gujarat Giants.

According to the emerging reports, the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction is expected to occur either on February 11 or 13, with the timing and venue not yet announced. Reports suggest that the first match of the WPL 2023 is likely to be played between the Mumbai-based team and Gujarat Giants on March 4 (Saturday), with the final likely to be played on 26th March.