"There wasn't any discussion about Sneh Rana"- Gujarat Giants coaches comment on WPL 2025 Auction strategy, buying Simran Shaikh for ₹1.9 crore
Gujarat Giants coaches Pravin Tambe and Michael Klinger have opened up on their strategy for the WPL 2025 Auction that was held on Sunday, December 15. Tambe is the Giants' bowling coach while Klinger is the head coach.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda after the WPL 2025 Auction, Tambe and Klinger spoke about the potential reason behind capped India all-rounder Sneh Rana going unsold. Rana was with the Gujarat Giants in the first two editions of the WPL.
When asked about the probable reason why Rana didn't attract any bids at the auction, Tambe said:
"That's the beauty of WPL. Anything can happen. Everyone comes in with different plans and strategies. We felt that she would not fit into our plans this season. Maybe even the other teams strategized like that. So, that's why she remained unsold I think."
Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger was asked if the team had any plans to go for Sneh Rana at the auction after releasing her. Klinger cited Australian off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner's presence in the squad as the reason why the Giants decided against re-signing Rana.
"No, there wasn't any discussion about Sneh Rana. We decided not to retain her this season purely because our strategy around retention was to keep the players that would be in our starting XI. You know, we have Ash Gardner, who is an off-spinner. You don't want to play two off-spinners in the playing XI, unless you come against a team with multiple left-handers, which teams don't have. So that was the main reason," Klinger explained.
Rana has played four Tests, 27 ODIs, and 25 T20Is for India. She also has the experience of playing two WPL seasons, which is why Klinger believes the capped Indian player could return to the tournament as a replacement.
"We had to make some tough decisions. We also thought that someone like Sneh could have a better chance of being in the starting XI of other team. I wouldn't be surprised if she comes back to the league as a replacement," the Gujarat Giants head coach said.
While the Giants did not bid for Sneh Rana, they splurged ₹1.9 crore to sign Simran Shaikh at the auction. Shaikh was with the UP Warriorz previously, where she scored 29 runs in seven innings. When asked if the Giants ended up spending a little too much for Simran, Tambe replied:
"It was a mini auction. We knew the players we have to target. We had to build up our squad by filling in the vacant spots only. She is a very good player. We needed a power-hitter. So, it happened according to our plan."
Michael Klinger highlighted that the Gujarat Giants had only four spots to fill, with ₹4.4 crore available in their WPL 2025 Auction purse. Hence, they weren't bothered about the price, as they got the players they wished for.
"It didn't go overbudget. We had to be a bit flexible. It probably didn't bother us because of our purse. Look we had money to spend, as long as we got the players we wanted, it worked out well for us," Klinger commented.
Gujarat Giants also signed Deandra Dottin (₹1.7 crore), Danielle Gibson (₹30 lakh), and Prakashika Naik (₹10 lakh) at the auction. The Adani Sportsline-owned franchise filled up all 18 spots in their squad and still had ₹40 lakh left in the purse.
"Kim Garth was certainly on our list"- Michael Klinger explains why Gujarat Giants signed Danielle Gibson over Garth
Kim Garth was available for ₹30 lakh at the auction. She has represented the Gujarat Giants in the past and also took a five-wicket haul for the team in the 2023 season. When asked if the team had any plans to sign Garth, Giants head coach Michael Klinger said in the same interview:
"Kim Garth was certainly on our list. When it came down to the last pick, we went for someone like a Danielle Gibson. If Gibson is in our playing XI, she can bat in the Top 6 and give us four good overs, whereas someone like a Kim Garth generally bats lower."
Meanwhile, Giants' bowling coach Pravin Tambe was delighted to have Prakashika Naik in the squad. Naik is a leg-spinner like Tambe. Sharing his thoughts on Naik's signing, Tambe said:
"She is a very good spinner. We are very happy because we managed to sign her at base price. When we get a spin-friendly track on offer, we'll have two spinners, you know two match-winners in the playing XI."
Gujarat Giants could not qualify for the WPL playoffs in the first two seasons. The team looks much stronger for Season 3. Hence, the Giants could lift their first championship in WPL 2025.