5 players Gujarat Giants should target at WPL 2026 auction ft. Deepti Sharma

Gujarat Giants (GG) are walking into the WPL 2026 mega auction with only two players retained and a purse of Rs 9 crore to rebuild almost their entire squad. After finishing third last season but struggling in the first two years, the Giants decided to take a clean-slate approach, keeping just Ash Gardener and Beth Mooney and releasing the rest.

With the second-biggest purse among all teams and three RTM cards in hand, GG now have serious work to do at the table on November 27 in Delhi. They need at least 13 new signings and will be expected to fix the balance issues that have hurt them since the league’s first season. On that note, we take a look at five players that Gujarat Giants (GG) should definitely look to sign.

Cricket

3 weeks

WPL 2026 mega auction: Purse left, RTMs, retained players, date, live streaming & All you need to know

Players GG-W should look to sign at WPL auction

Amelia Kerr

Winner of the Purple cap last season, Amelia Kerr was released by the Mumbai Indians (MI). In the marquee set, she will be among the most prized picks at the auction simply because of her class. With 40 wickets, she is the second highest-wicket taker in WPL history and GG could pair her up with Gardner terrifically. With 9 crore in their kitty, Kerr could be a great signing for GG.

Deepit Sharma

One of the most marquee names going into the auction is Deepti Sharma. While UP Warriorz have enough RTMs that they can use to sign her back, Gujarat can do their best and make her the face of the franchise. She can lead as well and recently delivered a scintillating performance at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. She ended up as the player of the tournament with the most (22) wickets to her name. She can really be a huge statement signing for the Giants.

Cricket

3 weeks

WPL 2026 auction: Deepti Sharma listed at base price of 50 lakh, Renuka Thakur at 40 lakh

Sneh Rana

She is an experienced spinner. In the WPL she has picked up 12 wickets, and more importantly, her economy has been under 9. So, she could form a partnership with Gardener. Rana can chip in with the bat as well, and was part of the ODI World Cup-winning Indian squad too.

Deandra Dottin

Fast bowling all-rounders are worth their weight in gold and Deandra Dottin could be the best option for GG. She has already played for them. Dottin had a good outing last year, with both bat and ball. She bats in the middle order and can form a lethal partnership with Gardner. She has enough experience of playing around the world, can bowl and can hit big shots. She has two tons in T20Is. In fact, more than her bowling, she is the kind of batter that GG would love to have in their ranks. Across T20s, Dottin has a terrific tally of 5390 runs and almost 150 wickets.

Nadine de Klerk

MI had to release Nadine de Klerk despite her having a superb ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. A pace-bowling all-rounder who thrives under pressure, De Klerk has proven her value for South Africa on multiple fronts.

In the recent Women’s World Cup, she maintained a strike rate of 131.64, second only to Richa Ghosh among players who faced at least 20 balls. With the ball, she was South Africa’s third-highest wicket-taker with nine scalps and also leaked just six runs in the final over of the Indian innings at the summit clash. With Gardner and Mooney in their batting up the order, GG need an all-rounder who can ace the finishing role.