Former Australian batter Michael Klinger has been named as the new head coach of the Gujarat Giants ahead of WPL season two.
Michael Klinger replaces former Australian batter Racheal Haynes in the new role and will work alongside mentor Mitali Raj and bowling coach Nooshin Al Khader.
After the appointment of Michael Klinger was made, the mentor, Mitali Raj, stated, “”Working with Michael will help bring out the best in the Gujarat Giants players; his experience with the bat is also well-known and will surely benefit some of the younger players of our team. We look forward to having Klinger in the dressing room. We are sure of attaining huge success with him as head coach.”
After his retirement from cricket,Klinger was head coach of the BBL side Melbourne Renegades for two seasons from 2019–20 onwards and most recently was assistant coach at Sydney Thunder in the WBBL, where the side finished fourth in the points table. In a statement, Klinger said he hoped to take the Giants to “the ultimate glory.”.
The Gujarat Giants made the announcement of Klinger as head coach, with the WPL just around the corner. The team lost six out of the eight games in the previous season, finishing at the bottom of the table.
But the Giants had a phenomenal auction for the upcoming season of the WPL. They added multiple all-round options alongside a gun batter and an express fast bowler in Kashvi Gautam. The Giants also picked Phoebe Litchfield, someone who has worked closely with Klinger in the past. The Giants further boosted their line-up by picking up Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce, who comes from an Associate Nation. This also allows the Giants to play five overseas players in their XI, while Veda Krishnamurthy’s return, a surprise, gives them experience in the middle order.
The Gujarat Giants will play their first game on February 25 against the Mumbai Indians.
