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With the second season of WPL around the corner, the Gujarat Giants announced that Australian batter Beth Mooney will captain the team and Indian all-rounder Sneh Rana will be her deputy.
They will be part of the leadership group with head coach Michael Klinger, mentor and advisor Mithali Raj, and assistant coach Nooshin Al Khadeer.
Mooney was appointed captain of Gujarat Giants in the inaugural season of WPL. However, she had to leave the tournament after the first game due to an injury.
Mooney is one of the best batters in international T20 cricket. In addition to being part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023, she was also in the squad that won the 2022 ODI World Cup and Gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Rana, an off-break bowler and a right-handed batter, is one of India's top cricketers. She made her ODI and T20I debut against Sri Lanka in 2014, and in Tests against England in 2021. In season 1 of the WPL, she was named the skipper of Gujarat Giants following Mooney’s injury, and bagged 6 wickets in 7 innings.
“I am delighted to be back with Gujarat Giants and grateful for the team’s trust in me. We have a fantastic squad, and I am confident we will put up a good show. It is good WPL will be played in Bengaluru and New Delhi, which are new to the tournament,” said Mooney.
“The second season of WPL will be another festival of cricket. That Beth is back as skipper is fantastic news, and I will do everything I can to support her. The squad is well-balanced, and we are in a good place as a team,” said Rana.
Gujarat Giants will open its campaign at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru against Mumbai Indians on February 25.