Who is Simran Shaikh? Gujarat Giants’ INR 1.9-crore buy in the WPL mini auction

 Hailing from Mumbai, India all-rounder Simran Shaikh was roped in by Gujarat Giants Women (GG-W) in the WPL (Women’s Premier League) 2025 mini auction held in Bengaluru on December 15, 2024. Shaikh was roped in by Giants for a massive price tag of INR 1.9 crore.

It is worth noting that Delhi Capitals Women and Gujarat Giants Women were engaged in a bidding battle to secure Shaikh’s services. However, it was the Giants who swooped in with the winning bid and added a rising star to their ranks for the new season. 

The franchise’s coach, Michael Klinger, came forward and talked about the side’s targets in the mini auction and opined that they managed to get both Dottin and Shaikh into their ranks after having them on their list of targets. 

“We’ve been watching the local competitions closely, the T20s and the Challengers. She stands out in terms of her hitting power and strike rate, and complements the other local Indian players [we’ve got in the squad]. To have someone like her, potentially in our top six-seven, who can hit sixes straight away, completes us. We were targeting her,” Klinger told during the auction break.

It is interesting to note that Simran Shaikh has previously represented UP Warriorz in the WPL in the inaugural season of the tournament. The youngster played nine games but only managed to score 29 runs with the highest score of 11. She went unsold in the 2024 auction.

Check Here: GG Women Squad 2025 Player List: Full Gujarat Giants Women Players List for WPL 2025

Speaking of Gujarat Giants women, the franchise has had two forgettable campaigns in the last two seasons of the WPL. Giants finished in fifth place in the standings in the inaugural season of the tournament, and followed it up with another last-place finish in the WPL 2024. With two subpar seasons behind them, the side will hope for some improvement in the new season of the most-watched women's cricket league.