The Gujarat Giants auction for WPL 2027 is shaping up as a full squad rebuild, with the franchise expected to retain its proven overseas core while releasing several domestic players who never got a settled role in the middle order. The bigger question is whether Gujarat finally fixes a bowling attack that has leaked runs in the death overs for three seasons running.
Key Takeaways
- Gujarat Giants are widely tipped to retain their overseas spine — Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine — heading into the next cycle.
- Several domestic squad members who barely featured in the XI are likely release candidates ahead of the Gujarat Giants auction.
- Death-bowling and a reliable Indian opener remain the franchise’s two biggest gaps on paper.
- Expect the Giants to chase a left-arm pacer and a top-order Indian batter with IPL-adjacent experience, given how thin their bench looked in recent seasons.
Why Is the Gujarat Giants Auction Already Making News?
Gujarat Giants have finished at or near the bottom of the WPL points table in most seasons since their 2023 debut. That record, more than anything else, is why chatter around the Gujarat Giants auction has started early.
A team doesn’t rebuild from a position of comfort. Giants have shown flashes — Ashleigh Gardner’s all-round form and Beth Mooney’s consistency at the top have kept them competitive in patches — but the middle overs have repeatedly cost them matches they were well placed to win.
That pattern is exactly what auction retention lists are built to correct. Keep what works, cut what doesn’t, and spend the purse where the system is actually broken.
Who Are Gujarat Giants Likely to Retain?
Retention calls in the Women’s Premier League are rarely about sentiment. They’re about roles. On that basis, three names look safe for Gujarat.
- Ashleigh Gardner — their highest-value overseas pick in recent auctions and arguably the one player Gujarat cannot replace at a similar price.
- Beth Mooney — a top-order anchor whose strike rotation has kept Gujarat’s innings from collapsing early.
- Sophie Devine — power at the top and a captaincy option if the leadership group is reshuffled.
Harleen Deol is the domestic name most likely to be kept back, given her fielding and her habit of finding boundaries when the asking rate climbs. Beyond that core four, the retention list thins out quickly.
Who Might Gujarat Giants Release Before the Auction?
This is where the Gujarat Giants auction gets interesting from a roster-construction standpoint. Players who sat on the bench for most of a season, or who were tried in roles that didn’t suit their skill set, are the obvious release candidates.
Fringe domestic all-rounders who were signed as squad depth rather than XI regulars typically don’t survive a rebuild cycle. The same goes for back-up wicketkeepers when a franchise already has a settled gloveman. Expect Gujarat’s released list to lean heavily on players who logged fewer than five appearances across the last two seasons — that’s usually the clearest signal a franchise sends before an auction.
None of this is confirmed yet; franchises typically finalise and submit their retained-and-released lists only in the weeks immediately before the auction window opens, so treat specific names beyond the core four as informed projection rather than fact.
What Does Gujarat’s Auction Strategy Need to Fix?
Three gaps stand out on tape, and they’re the kind of gaps a smart auction room can actually close.
| Area | Current Problem | What the Auction Should Target |
| Death bowling (overs 16-20) | Leaked runs consistently in the back end of innings | A left-arm pacer with yorker control |
| Indian top order | Over-reliance on overseas openers | A domestic opener with strike-rotation ability |
| Spin depth | Thin back-up beyond the first-choice spinner | A wrist-spinner who can bowl in the middle overs |
| Finishing | Lower order has struggled to close tight chases | A proven finisher, overseas or domestic |
Fixing even two of these four would change how Gujarat’s season reads. Franchises with a clear purse plan — rather than one built around star power alone — tend to perform better across a full season, and that’s the model Gujarat’s think tank appears to be studying.
How Does the WPL Auction Purse and Retention System Actually Work?
Every Women’s Premier League franchise operates under a fixed salary purse, with retained players deducted from that purse at pre-set slabs before the auction even begins. Whatever remains becomes the bidding fund for overseas and domestic recruits.
That structure is exactly why the Gujarat Giants auction matters so much this cycle. Retain too many expensive stars and the purse for filling gaps shrinks fast. Release too aggressively and you lose continuity in a squad that needs settled partnerships, not constant turnover.
Franchises that get this balance right usually show it in the league table within a season or two — look at how quickly Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals stabilised once their core combinations were locked in.
Who Could Gujarat Giants Target as Fresh Auction Picks?
Based purely on the gaps above, a few profiles make sense rather than specific marquee names. A left-arm seamer with proven IPL or domestic T20 death-overs numbers would address the most urgent weakness. An Indian domestic opener who has shown strike rotation in the Women’s Premier League qualifiers or Senior Women’s T20 Trophy would reduce the dependence on overseas batters at the top.
A genuine lower-order finisher — someone who has closed out tight run chases at domestic level — would solve the problem that has cost Gujarat the most close matches. None of these need to be headline names; WPL history shows role-fit beats reputation at the auction table.
FAQ
When is the WPL 2027 auction expected to happen?
An exact date hasn’t been confirmed publicly yet. WPL auctions have historically been held a few months before the season, so expect official confirmation closer to the retention deadline.
Who are Gujarat Giants’ most important players right now?
Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine and Harleen Deol have been the most consistent performers across recent seasons.
Why has the Gujarat Giants auction become a talking point so early?
Because the team’s results have lagged behind its roster’s reputation, pushing the franchise toward a visible rebuild rather than minor tweaks.
What does Gujarat Giants need most from this auction?
A reliable death-overs bowler and a dependable Indian top-order batter are the two clearest needs.
Is the retained-and-released list for WPL 2027 final yet?
No. Franchises typically announce official lists only shortly before the auction itself, so current reports remain informed projections.
Conclusion
The Gujarat Giants auction looks less like a shake-up and more like a correction — keep the proven core, fix the bowling gaps, and stop improvising at the top of the order. Whether Gujarat’s recruiters actually execute that plan is the part worth watching once the retention list turns official.