'She would be sitting on the bench again': Gujarat Giants explain Danni Wyatt-Hodge release
toi
newspoint|02-10-2026
Mumbai: Gujarat Giants retained a large chunk of their squad ahead of the 2027 Women's Premier League player auction, a departure from the second season when they released 11 players. But they surprised by letting go of England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge , who finished as the top run-scorer in the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup in England.
Wyatt-Hodge scored 302 runs in seven matches at 60.40, including a century and two fifties, at a strike rate of 149.50, helping England reach the final.
Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger said Wyatt-Hodge was released because she was likely to spend much of WPL 2027 on the bench, with England also having commitments during the tournament.
"As you would have seen last year, she didn't quite fit into our four overseas lineup for the majority of the time. I felt for her. She came in for one game and started reasonably well, getting about 12 or 15. Then she got sick just before the next game and was left out. Georgia Wareham came back in and had a really good game, and we stuck with that middle order all round option.
"This year, England have commitments during the WPL. If we went with a similar setup, she would probably be sitting on the bench again. I spoke to both her and her representative, and they are keen for her to play some cricket during that time, leading into the Champions Trophy. I'm not sure whether she will enter the auction, but she was quite keen to play that England series around the same time. So for both parties, this was the best way to go. It also gives us another option in the auction, either the same skill set or a different one," Klinger said at an interaction on Thursday.
Titas releaseKlinger said injury concerns also contributed to the decision to release India pacer Titas Sadhu , who has played 20 white-ball internationals.
"What probably went against her this time was her injuries. She had an injury last season where we didn't really get a chance to see her, and she has been injured since. She is just making her comeback now.
"We are having a training camp at the moment and we still asked her to come so we could have a look at her before the auction. She is progressing well and will start the domestic season on the 26th of October. Releasing her gives us a few more options in the auction. There is no reason we may not look to get her back, but it also gives us a chance to look at other options," he said.
Fast-bowling depthKlinger believes India's domestic fast-bowling pool has improved, though the real test will come against international batters.
“Overall, domestically, I think fast bowling is the area where Indian cricket can keep building depth. There has been a big change from when I started in this role a few years ago. The fast bowlers around the country are physically better. When you watch them bowl and field, they are fitter, more versatile, move better and are more agile.
"That is only going to help them maintain pace and aggression for longer periods without injury. So I think Indian cricket is definitely on the right track in building depth in fast bowling. The test is always when they come up against international batters, whether that's international Indian batters or overseas batters in the WPL, because a lot of these bowlers haven't done that before. That's always the biggest test when they get on the big stage,” Klinger said.
Giants target bowling consistencyAfter missing the playoffs in their first two seasons, Gujarat Giants have reached the knockout stage in the last two. Klinger, who is overseeing an off-season camp in Bengaluru ahead of the October 28 auction in Kochi, identified bowling consistency as an area for improvement.
"To be honest, we just had a bad final against Delhi Capitals. We beat them twice during the season in close games and didn't bring our best in that eliminator. That was disappointing, because I felt we probably had a stronger season than DC did throughout the year. But that's what finals are about. You need your best players to step up, and we probably didn't."
"I think we can get more consistency with our bowling. Looking at the data and statistical information from last season, that's one area where we can improve. We have the personnel, and a couple of players are putting their hand up to get opportunities there this year, which will help us get some more quality overs.
"Last year we defended some really big scores, but they were pretty tight games, and we also chased some big scores. I feel our batting is strong. If we can tighten up our bowling at certain times, then we'll be fine," he added.
Anushka, Happy in focusKlinger backed Anushka Sharma after her impressive first WPL season and said her experience of international cricket could provide extra motivation.
"Anushka Sharma was fantastic for us last year in her first WPL season. She has had a really good ODI series against Australia A and had a taste of international cricket. She probably could have been kept a little longer with more opportunities there, but I'm hoping that works in our favour.
"Having tasted international cricket, I'm sure she will be desperate to do everything she can to get back. Both she and Yastika (Bhatia, who too will play for GG in WPL-2027) are in the same boat, playing for India at the moment. I'm hoping they will have a lot of motivation to have a really good WPL and help break back into the Indian starting 11. That gives them great motivation, which can only help us as well."
Klinger also identified young fast bowler Happy Kumari as a player to watch.
"One other I would mention, though it's hard to pinpoint because we have great skill sets throughout the squad, is Happy Kumari, a young fast bowler. We saw her progress and train really well for us last year. She got one opportunity in a match and has been working hard since. If she keeps progressing that way, she may get more games for us in this WPL. I'm looking forward to seeing her keep improving up until January," he concluded.
Wyatt-Hodge scored 302 runs in seven matches at 60.40, including a century and two fifties, at a strike rate of 149.50, helping England reach the final.
Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger said Wyatt-Hodge was released because she was likely to spend much of WPL 2027 on the bench, with England also having commitments during the tournament.
"As you would have seen last year, she didn't quite fit into our four overseas lineup for the majority of the time. I felt for her. She came in for one game and started reasonably well, getting about 12 or 15. Then she got sick just before the next game and was left out. Georgia Wareham came back in and had a really good game, and we stuck with that middle order all round option.
"This year, England have commitments during the WPL. If we went with a similar setup, she would probably be sitting on the bench again. I spoke to both her and her representative, and they are keen for her to play some cricket during that time, leading into the Champions Trophy. I'm not sure whether she will enter the auction, but she was quite keen to play that England series around the same time. So for both parties, this was the best way to go. It also gives us another option in the auction, either the same skill set or a different one," Klinger said at an interaction on Thursday.
Titas releaseKlinger said injury concerns also contributed to the decision to release India pacer Titas Sadhu , who has played 20 white-ball internationals.
"What probably went against her this time was her injuries. She had an injury last season where we didn't really get a chance to see her, and she has been injured since. She is just making her comeback now.
"We are having a training camp at the moment and we still asked her to come so we could have a look at her before the auction. She is progressing well and will start the domestic season on the 26th of October. Releasing her gives us a few more options in the auction. There is no reason we may not look to get her back, but it also gives us a chance to look at other options," he said.
Fast-bowling depthKlinger believes India's domestic fast-bowling pool has improved, though the real test will come against international batters.
“Overall, domestically, I think fast bowling is the area where Indian cricket can keep building depth. There has been a big change from when I started in this role a few years ago. The fast bowlers around the country are physically better. When you watch them bowl and field, they are fitter, more versatile, move better and are more agile.
"That is only going to help them maintain pace and aggression for longer periods without injury. So I think Indian cricket is definitely on the right track in building depth in fast bowling. The test is always when they come up against international batters, whether that's international Indian batters or overseas batters in the WPL, because a lot of these bowlers haven't done that before. That's always the biggest test when they get on the big stage,” Klinger said.
Giants target bowling consistencyAfter missing the playoffs in their first two seasons, Gujarat Giants have reached the knockout stage in the last two. Klinger, who is overseeing an off-season camp in Bengaluru ahead of the October 28 auction in Kochi, identified bowling consistency as an area for improvement.
"To be honest, we just had a bad final against Delhi Capitals. We beat them twice during the season in close games and didn't bring our best in that eliminator. That was disappointing, because I felt we probably had a stronger season than DC did throughout the year. But that's what finals are about. You need your best players to step up, and we probably didn't."
"I think we can get more consistency with our bowling. Looking at the data and statistical information from last season, that's one area where we can improve. We have the personnel, and a couple of players are putting their hand up to get opportunities there this year, which will help us get some more quality overs.
"Last year we defended some really big scores, but they were pretty tight games, and we also chased some big scores. I feel our batting is strong. If we can tighten up our bowling at certain times, then we'll be fine," he added.
Anushka, Happy in focusKlinger backed Anushka Sharma after her impressive first WPL season and said her experience of international cricket could provide extra motivation.
"Anushka Sharma was fantastic for us last year in her first WPL season. She has had a really good ODI series against Australia A and had a taste of international cricket. She probably could have been kept a little longer with more opportunities there, but I'm hoping that works in our favour.
"Having tasted international cricket, I'm sure she will be desperate to do everything she can to get back. Both she and Yastika (Bhatia, who too will play for GG in WPL-2027) are in the same boat, playing for India at the moment. I'm hoping they will have a lot of motivation to have a really good WPL and help break back into the Indian starting 11. That gives them great motivation, which can only help us as well."
Klinger also identified young fast bowler Happy Kumari as a player to watch.
"One other I would mention, though it's hard to pinpoint because we have great skill sets throughout the squad, is Happy Kumari, a young fast bowler. We saw her progress and train really well for us last year. She got one opportunity in a match and has been working hard since. If she keeps progressing that way, she may get more games for us in this WPL. I'm looking forward to seeing her keep improving up until January," he concluded.
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