The 25-year-old Gardner, who was the Player the Match in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal against India, will be the second highest earning women’s cricketer in the world after Smriti Mandhana.
Gardner was signed by Gujarat Giants for INR 3.2 crore at the WPL auction in Mumbai earlier this month. The Giants were locked in a bidding war with Mumbai Indians (MI) and UP Warriorz before acquiring Gardner’s services.
A two-time T20 World Cup champion with Australia, Gardner’s power-hitting ability and crafty off-spin make her a vital cog across all formats. She won her maiden Belinda Clark medal at the Australian Cricket Award in 2022.
Gardner is currently the No.1 T20I all-rounder and was the ‘Player of the tournament’ at the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season 8.
The Gardner-led Giants will start their WPL campaign on March 4 against MI at the DY Patil stadium. The side’s newly-formed coaching team comprises Rachael Haynes (head Coach), Nooshin Al Khadeer (bowling coach), Tushar Arothe (batting coach), Gavan Twining (fielding coach) and Mithali Raj (team mentor).
On Sunday (February 26), the Giants also unveiled their jersey for the upcoming season.
“Presenting to you, our jersey for the inaugural @wplt20 season. The glorious jersey depicts the passion & enthusiasm of our lionesses who are set to give it their all in the first-ever season,” wrote the franchise on Twitter while sharing a glimpse of their orange jersey with fans.
All matches of WPL 2023 will be played in Mumbai across two venues – the DY Patil Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium.
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